The Great Exchange
by CatfaceNaschKatze
Summary: Can you imagine Natsu being a teacher? A history teacher even! No? Well, I can tell you he would have been the coolest teacher ever! NaZa, slight GrayxJuvia. Characters may turn OOC! You've been warned!
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

The telephone was ringing. It was ringing. Ringing. Ringing. Then stopped. The old man in the bed, covered his head with the blanket and turned to the other side and tried to fall asleep again. _'Installing a telephone in the bedroom was a bad idea…'_ he thought, never minding to open his eyes. Sleep was so close, dreams were almost tangible… But the telephone started ringing again.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" the man cursed, sitting up and taking the receiver, glancing at the clock along the way. _'Three in the morning! Who the hell can that be?' _with palpable annoyance in his voice the old man finally said: "Hello."

"Yo, Rob! How's it going, ol' pal?" was the cheerful answer from the other side of the line.

"Ma-Makarov?" Rob spat, almost jumping from his bed with wide eyes. "Are you completely out of it, old fool? Calling me in the middle of the night! Who the hell gave you my number anyway?"

"Bo-ho," Makarov teased. "Is that anyway to great an old friend, who hasn't showed up for five years?"

"My point exactly! You disappeared for all this time and never even gave any contacts! I thought you dropped dead somewhere…"

"Nah, I'm too young for that," Makarov replied childishly; and no matter how angry Rob had been with him, he forgot all about it in a second. It was his cheerful friend after all, and he was well, that's what counted. So Rob laughed into the receiver and so did his old friend. "So, still wanna know where I got the phone number?" Makarov asked although he pretty sure knew the answer.

"Nah, not really. I was just pissed and all that…" he smiled and felt that the other man did the same thing. "So why are you calling? It's got to be something important, if you decided to call."

"Well, yeah… Rob, you've got to help me!" Makarov almost pleaded.

"W-what's wrong?"

"Well… I'm kind of… you know," the old man said doubtfully, but then decided to spit it out and hope for the best. "I've decided to become a teacher, like you! I'm really fond of kids you know… I like to see them grow and stuff…"

"Go on," Rob was growing suspicious.

"Well, I worked as a teacher for a year, got promoted and started working as a principal, and after another year went to a University, where they now put me in charge, so… I'm a rector, just like you, pal!" he said in raised spirits, and although Rob was happy for his old friend he still felt that this was not the reason he was calling.

"Congratulations, Makarov! I'm glad you finally quit with the alcohol," for Rob the two things 'teaching' and 'staying sober' were inseparable, which didn't go the same way with Makarov though.

"Hehe, yeah…" he laughed the matter off.

"So what's the business? I bet you didn't call me to enlighten on your latest achievements…"

Makarov sighed heavily and took a short pause before continuing. "The history teacher… He's driving me crazy. Plus, he's gonna destroy the campus someday…"

"Fire him," was the plain and logical reply.

Makarov gave out a heavy sigh again. "I can't…"

"Why not?"

"Students adore him. His lectures are always vivid and interesting and he's flexible with grades…"

"I see…" yep, Rob could understand the situation. "So what can I do? Fire him for you?" was the sarcastic question.

"Ha-ha, real funny," Makarov almost pouted. "I've heard that you have an exchange program at your University. And that the rules and discipline are really strict and all that…"

"Old man, have you been stalking me?" Rob laughed.

"If you listened carefully I was stalking your University."

"Touché."

They laughed again. Just like in the old times. And this comfortable laughter made Rob feel that he won't be able to say 'no' to any request from his old friend, especially the one he figured Makarov was about to ask of.

"So you want me to re-educate your hyperactive history teacher?"

"Something like that," Makarov confessed. "I heard the program starts next week… I'm probably late, but I still needed to take a shot…"

"Well, fortunately I have also chosen a history teacher for exchange, the one you might find very clever and very boring, but I have chosen another University for him to go to…"

"Oh, I see…" Makarov said sadly. "I should have called earlier."

"Makarov?"

"Huh?"

"Remember, when we were in college at the graduation party and I fell asleep drunk as a lord near the punch bowl?"

"Hahaha!" Makarov laughed into the receiver. "Right after you threw up on Potlyusica's new dress! She never even got a chance to punch you, cause dropped dead right away!"

"Yep, and then I fell into the bowl," silence followed on both ends of the line. "I would have drowned if you hadn't gotten me out. I never actually repaid you for that…"

"Rob… it's been ages ago, you shouldn't bother…"

"Send your teacher over," he said with a small smile. "I'll settle things here."

"Really?" there was gratitude in the old man's voice. "I owe you a big one, Rob!"

"Tsk, have you gone deaf, old man? I told you that's my way to repay you," then after a pause. "So what's the man's name?"


	2. Chapter 1: Unexpected News

**In this story I want to break some of the common stereotypes as to FT pairings!**

**I don't own Fairy Tail. T_T**

**Chapter 1: Unexpected News**

"Ugh… I have a hangover…" a pink-haired man grunted rolling from the huge bed and falling on the floor hitting his head. "Ouch…" he whispered and tried standing up, it was difficult with leaden eyelids and shaky legs. "I bet Napoleon never had hangovers…"

"That's because he never drank like you," Natsu said to himself in a Gray-like manner.

Yep, that's exactly what his best friend would have said if he were here and sober. Natsu let out a short triumphant laugh imagining Gray on the hostel floor with that fangirl student of his… Loxar was it? Maybe, he didn't really remember, because she didn't take up his history classes. Instead she attended every math lecture, and later it appeared that she was in love with the math teacher, aka Natsu's best friend. He didn't mind her though and never came to the parties she invited him to, but the girl never gave up and this time was clever enough to ask Natsu to her party to get her favourite teacher Gray Fullbuster to come too. _'Smart girl,'_ Natsu thought, _'she'll go far.'_ But then the headache returned, and growling the pink-haired man went to the bathroom.

Several hours passed before the last night's 'party-boy' changed into his formal suit and went downstairs to get some coffee. Well, you couldn't actually call his suit formal. Sure all the components were there: light-pink shirt, cream pants and jacket, and brown shoes. But he never wore a tie and always had two buttons loose on the shirt, the sleeves of his shirt and jacket were rolled up till mid forearm and the belt on his pants had a fang-like buckle. And to frame it all and spice it all up, he had a white checked scarf around his neck. Yep, that was Natsu Dragneel Kofuku University's top history teacher. The one that was loved and adored by the students, and shot daggers at by almost all the envious teachers.

Sipping his coffee, Natsu looked at today's timetable. The timetable that he always kept with a magnet on the refrigerator (which was mostly empty), and occasionally made notes in brackets.

_First line: ancient history (silly freshmen. Note: tell them to listen and not write everything down)_

_Second line: history of France (French philologists, sophomores. Note: show a movie to get interest)_

_Third line: modern history (graduates. Note: …oh, well)_

Natsu laughed at the last comment. Only he and, perhaps, Gray could decipher what he meant by it. He meant that the kids are gonna graduate soon, so they should have some fun! And if they didn't attend his lectures he didn't mind as long as there were some who did. And there were plenty of those. Natsu always knew how to raise interest and arrange the study material.

"Well, I'll be going home early today," he thought finishing his humble breakfast, "I don't think those drunk bastards with Loxar in charge will show up today after the party they set up yesterday," he smiled and then mused aloud: "Hmm, I wonder if Gray's gonna show up or not? I bet he's got lectures tonight…" the man rubbed his chin. "Oh, well, I'll just pick him up on my way home if he doesn't."

And with that said, Natsu took his backpack (yep, he wore a backpack with a suit) and headed to the University on foot. He didn't have a car and didn't drive one, because he was getting sick too fast in any vehicle. But Natsu didn't mind that at all, he liked his daily twenty-minute walk to the University premises. Kofuku was a great town, where there only seemed to be one season – summer. The trees were always green, the birds were always singing, the ladies were always wearing short skirts… And gents… well, they were lucky that the ladies were wearing short skirts. But most of all Natsu liked the mid-day sky. It was mostly clear and blue, but the occasional clouds only gave it some romantic spice, some peculiar charm… He loved the sky, he loved his job, he loved… Natsu shook his head dismissing the thought. She broke up with him several months ago. It was time to get over it.

Reaching the premises, the man was greeted with usual friendliness and cheerfulness.

"Hey, Natsu-sensei!" a boy on the skateboard waved at him.

"Yo!" Natsu raised his hand in return.

"Good morning, Dragneel-san!" two sophomore girls bowed to him.

"Good morning!" he smiled back.

This was one of the differences between Natsu and the other teachers: the former always greeted back, while the others just ignored the students, treating them as a sort of nuisance or hindrance or both. That's why the students loved Natsu – he was always the attentive teacher: giving manageable tasks, defending them from other teachers, explaining things over after class for the 'dumb ones'. He was different, that's why every one of the teachers hated him and for a long time he was an outcast, until he made friends with Gray. Speaking of which…

"Oi, pinky, I see you're up and about," a tall young man with raven hair said smirking from the entrance of the main University building.

"Hey, Gray!" Natsu fastened his pace to come near his friend. "How's your head?"

"I've been better," the math teacher confessed. "You?"

"I think I'm gonna start being a teetotaler, or something… Seriously, my liver can take no more of this shit," he winced and Gray laughed. Switching the subject Natsu asked: "So, what about other parts of your body?" he smirked in a manner rather uncharacteristic of him and motioned to his friend's lower half.

"Tch, you're unbearable. For your information she did try to get in there, but it didn't work."

"Pervert," Natsu snorted.

"Whoa? I thought I said she didn't get there!" Gray said irritated.

"That doesn't prove me wrong, though, does it?" Natsu poked his tongue out, and Gray laughed. He definitely liked this guy, a lot.

"Haha, guess you're right about that."

"So, why are you here, waiting for Princess Fangirl or something?" Natsu teased.

"Nope," the other man said simply, "I was waiting for a pinky-dumbass history teacher to give him a message from the new rector."

"Ouch," the man played along. "What did the old geezer want?"

Gray shrugged: "Don't know. Told me to tell you to get to his office when you arrived. Said he had some important business to discuss with you."

"Oh, shit…" Natsu stopped. "My group blasted chemistry class last week; you think it's about that?"

"Who knows?" Gray shrugged again. "But he was… erm… excited or something. Well, not angry at least. So I think you should go."

"Ok. Meet me at break time?"

"Sure thing."

And Natsu was about to leave when a young woman with blonde hair, ample chest and a sweet smile made her way to the door confronting them.

"Morning, Gray!" she smiled even broader.

"Morning, Lucy," he nodded.

"Good morning, Dragneel-san," she didn't even look at the pink-haired teacher and briskly hurried away.

"Yeah, whatever…" he said and left to the rector's office.

'_Women. Who gets them? When you're dating they call you 'Kitty', 'Honey', 'Darling'! Occasionally you may earn a 'Baby'. But when they break up with you, they turn all formal! Then it's 'Dragneel-san'!'_ the history teacher thought approaching the rectors office and knocking at the door.

"Come on in," the old man said hastily.

"You wanted to see me, Makarov-sempai?" Natsu asked politely, taking a seat in the expensive leather armchair in front of the even more expensive red-wood table.

"Yes-yes!" the rector seemed to be overwhelmed with something.

'_I guess Gray was right – the old geezer seems really excited,'_ Natsu thought, suspicion rising in him.

"You see, Natsu-san, I had an unexpected call yesterday," he lied without blinking, "from an old friend. You see, we went to college together and used to be very close…"

"I'm sorry, somehow I don't see where this is going."

'_Arrogant brat,'_ Makarov thought, but only smiled and continued. "You see the man is also a rector in a very known University. University of Kanashimi, ever heard of that one?"

Natsu's eyes grew slightly wide as he nodded in agreement. University of Kanashimi was one of the best in the world and was always a bit ahead of Kofuku University. They had the best professors, the most prominent students and scholars. Their rector was said to be a kind-hearted old man, but his assistant was known as Kanashimi's Devil who was keeping most of the things under control in the University, while the rector only dealt with paper work, because of his age. So yeah, Natsu knew pretty much about the institution. Truth be told he even wanted to apply for a job there, but his CV was politely turned down last year because there already seemed to be a decent history teacher on the staff.

"Good," Makarov's smile grew even wider at his subordinate's expression, "since my friend asked me to help him out with a teacher-exchange program… Something got out of hand at the last moment and the HISTORY teacher they were expecting could not show up, so my friend asked me…"

"Wait a minute?" Natsu whispered. "You're asking me to join the program?" he said in disbelief.

Makarov nodded.

Natsu frowned. It was all too easy. "Where's the catch?"

The rector sighed and rubbed his temples. "There is no catch, Natsu. The program lasts for a term. Then you'll come back. So it's up to you: you either agree or refuse. That's it."

Natsu was silent for a moment calculating the pros and cons. _'I love this city, my students and my job… I'll miss Gray… a lot. But then again it's only for a term. Plus I'll get to know something about the bastard who got my job! And the old geezer won't be there to cut my salary twice when I or my students blow something up. And then… I won't have to see Lucy every day.'_ That last point seemed the prevailing one, and Natsu was ready to give his answer.

"Ok, I'll do it!"

"Good," Makarov rubbed his hands. "Mira, would you please bring the necessary documents on the exchange program for Natsu-san?" the rector asked his secretary over the phone.

"In a minute," was the polite reply.

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"Good morning, Sunshine," the tender whisper in her ear made the woman on the bed smile in her half-asleep state and stretch out in a cat-like manner. She murmured something barely audible and then opened her eyes to the man sitting next to her.

"Good morning…" she said finally and pulled him in for a kiss. "You're up early today…"

"I made breakfast," the man said and put a tray with scones, and orange juice on the bed.

"Oh, you shouldn't have!" the woman protested. "You should have been packing! I was the one to make breakfast…" she scolded mildly.

"I am packed," the blue-haired man smiled at the beauty on the bed.

"Whoa?" the scarlet-haired lady said in surprise and then frowned. "Have you had any sleep at all?"

"I'll sleep in the train," was the simple soft reply. "I watched you sleeping, since I'll be deprived of that for the term…" he said with sadness and she put the tray aside to hug him.

"Silly!" she scolded with a smile. "I'm not going anywhere, and it's only for a term. Besides I'm sure teachers in Sekai also have vacations, so you may take one and come home anytime you want."

"For a couple of days…" he said in defeat.

"Gerard," the woman looked him in the eyes this time, "you asked Master Rob about the program yourself."

"I know," he said with a smile. "But I didn't think that parting with you will be this difficult," and he pulled her in for a kiss this time. "Erza, you're my life, you know that?"

She nodded. "As you are mine." They stayed in each other's arms for another couple of minutes until Erza felt she was going to cry soon, so something had to be done. "Ok, let's eat breakfast already, and I'll check everything you've packed. Sounds good to you?"

"It does… but before that…" and with a glint in his eyes the blue-haired man kissed Erza again and tackled her onto the bed.

Several hours later Erza was kissing Gerard for the last time this term, while the cab driver beeped impatiently.

"Sure you haven't forgotten anything?" the red-haired asked concerned. "Tooth brush, towel, tickets, money…" she started enumerating before the lad cut her off.

"I haven't," he said with a reassuring smile and stroke her shoulders. "You worry too much."

"Sure, I worry!" Erza protested with a pout. "Cell phone?"

"All here!" the blue-haired man took the device out of his pocket and showed it to his girlfriend.

"Phew…" she sighed with relief and her beloved only laughed a little. "And don't forget to eat on the train! I've made you some pancakes and muffins!" the girl exclaimed cheerfully. "Plus… I bought a cake!" was the jubilant culmination.

"I can't even imagine how I'm going to eat all that," the man replied teasingly.

"But you will, won't you?"

He sighed. "Sure I will," and _he_ pecked her on the lips for one last time this term. "Now let's not make the cab driver angrier than he already is…" Gerard suggested seeing a whole pile of cigarette stubs near the driver's door. The man was sure getting impatient.

"The driver can wait. This is important!" Erza said in her stern teacher-like voice. Then she sighed herself remembering that they have been standing here for the last 45 minutes saying goodbye.

"It's ok, I won't be long. Plus, I'll call you every day!" Gerard whispered and hugged the woman of his dreams before opening the doors and sitting inside the car.

"Bye…" Erza waved uneasily.

Gerard just smiled. He never liked goodbyes.

When the cab was far from sight Erza's lips trembled with oncoming tears, but she shook her premonition off and headed to the University. Today was going to be a hell of a day.

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Natsu never really liked travelling on any kind of vehicle, especially a damned train. He was sick and it was awful. No matter how many pills he took he still felt like emptying his stomach right on the floor. Tilting his head back Natsu looked up at his small suitcase on the top shelf in the empty compartment. He left everything reminding him of Lucy at home in Kofuku: photos, her verses and short stories she had once dedicated to him, her pajamas that she forgot to pack when she left, secretly like a thief, emptying his apartment, his soul and his life, stealing his heart and never coming back.

"Kanashimi… if only I could forget about you there…" Natsu muttered to himself, "Will you even miss me, Lucy?" he wondered looking outside the window at yet another approaching train on the opposite track.

Gerard was fumbling with a small red heart-shaped box in his hands. He smiled tracing its velvet surface. _'Just wait for me to come back, Erza,'_ the man said to himself as unlike Natsu who was sitting in the approaching train, he had company in his compartment. It was a really nice woman with a little kid. The boy was hyper-active and told things to his mother non-stop. The woman was eagerly asking questions and laughed at her son's jokes. Gerard smiled and turned his dreamy gaze outside the window imagining Erza with their son or daughter, either would be a blessing for him. _'When I come back I will propose to you like no other man ever did! Because you deserve it…'_ and with that thought the two trains finally appeared right across one another and for a brief second both Natsu and Gerard had an uneasy foreboding, Gerard catching a glimpse of pink, and Natsu seeing a flash of blue. And again both men tilted on their seats and tried to catch the last view of the parting trains. _'What is this feeling?'_ Gerard thought in awe looking at the disappearing train on the opposite track.

"That's odd," Natsu thought surprised for a minute even forgetting his nausea. "I thought I saw someone familiar…" and with that the trains continued moving each to their own place of unexpected destination.

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"Eru-chaaan!" a girl with a face really akin to a cat's one yelled on top of her lungs waving madly to a certain scarlet-haired rector's assistant.

Erza tilted her head, smiled and waved back at her childhood friend who was carrying a whole pile of folders most likely heading towards the rector's office as was she. "Oh, hi, Millianna!" Erza greeted the girl. "Here, let me help you with that," the girl offered, but Millianna only shook her head.

"It's ok, Eru-chan! It's a secretary's job, isn't it? Besides," the girl blushed a bit, "I have to give my best, so that I won't spoil your reputation, since you helped me with this job and…"

"Millianna," Erza cut her short, "how many times do I have to tell you to forget about it! That's what friends do," she smiled as the two resumed their pace, "Besides it's not good for a girl to carry something as heavy as that," she pointed to the folders.

"Then maybe you won't refuse my help?" a square-faced man suggested making Milly blush and Erza give a little knowing smile.

"I…uh…"

"Sure she won't, Wally" Erza said firmly showing the folders into the man's hands, while he struggled for balance. "Now if you two don't mind I'll be the first to speak to Rob-sempai, ok? Since I am expecting a visitor today."

"Really?" Milly asked. "Who?"

"Desire Cardiac."

"Who's that?" Wally blinked.

"It's the history professor from Sekai, the one that is going to substitute for Gerard this term."

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about that…" Wally said silently.

"How are you, Eru-chan?" Milly enquired with concern.

"Oh, I'll be fine," Erza assured. "It's only for a term. What could possibly happen in that time?" she said reassuringly and waving her good-bye knocked on the rector's door. "Rob-sempai, it's Erza, may I come in?"

"Come on in Erza-chan," the old man said and somehow the scarlet-haired woman felt that his was trembled with something that seemed like worry, and although she had known the kind old man for what it seemed like to be the whole life, Erza still dismissed her sudden foreboding and entered the office.

It was a relatively small room with thick books crammed all over it. There was an old antique wooden table and a matching wooden chair in it, but somehow rector Rob was not sitting there, instead he stood facing the window, with his back half-turned to Erza.

"Good morning, Rob-sempai," the woman said cautiously, surprised by the old man being in deep thought and never greeting her back. "Umm… The a… The meeting with the investors went well. They really liked my presentation and would like to come and offer our students some future working places," she started saying automatically giving her weekly report, looking down into her thick notebook. "I have also spoken to the owner of the local theatre, he promised to give a discount for our students to watch the premiere of their newly staged play…"

"How was Gerard's departure?" the old man caught the woman off guard with his silent question.

"Fine," she answered automatically, but gave up when the old man finally looked at her raising his eyebrows. "Well, no. It was awful, Rob-sempai…" and the girl's legs finally gave out making her collapse on the free chair near one of the book cases.

Rob smiled at that and approached the scarlet-haired girl, combing a stray lock of her hair back into its place in the tight knot of her official hairdo.

"It's ok, Erza-chan," he said soothingly hugging the girl in a fatherly-like manner.

"I'm so worried about him… I mean how is he going to make it in the cold Sekai? I mean Kanashimi isn't one of the warmest places, but…"

"Erza," the rector said seriously. "Gerard isn't going to Sekai. He will spend the term lecturing in Kofuku University."

"What? Why?"

Rob sighed. "Well, Erza, the thing is that…" and the rector retold the whole story to Erza adding the only missing piece of the picture at the end. "I came to see him off at the train station today, and gave him the new tickets. I also asked him not to call you till I had a word with you myself, so that you won't get worried right away."

Erza was shocked for a moment. But then forced herself to calm down. _'Well, it was an old friend's request. I would have probably done the same. Plus there isn't much difference I guess… I mean I know neither Desire Cardiac, nor this…'_ Erza blinked when it hit her.

"What's the arriving professor's name, Rob-sempai?"

"Dragneel. Natsu Dragneel."

**Well, there you have it. Surprising that it doesn't concern students but rather teachers isn't it? XD That was my intention, so yeah, it's gonna continue like that =P The initial idea isn't mine that I have to admit, it was taken from a novel "Changing Places" by David Lodge. I read it for my literature exam this term and I strongly recommend you to read this novel as well, BUT only after you finish reading this fic, because you might start expecting something that is not going to happen. I emphasize that the idea isn't fully mine, but the plot is ;) So bear with me and I hope you have a good read ;) P.S.: I probably won't be able to update for a while, since I have my teaching practice, but "I'll be back" XD I always am, am I not? ;)**


	3. Chapter 2: Guests

**Chapter 2: Guests**

While Gerard Fernandez had still some two hours to go till he reached the ever sunny Kofuku and a half of a cheesecake to share with the friendly family whose company he was greatly enjoying, the train of his substitute Natsu Dragneel was driving onto Kanashimi's first platform.

Natsu's head was still dizzy from the whole train trip and his mind was quite uneasy because of the whole blue-haired guy thing, so he kind of used an autopilot to finally set foot on solid ground. _'Oh, God… When I get to the nearest hotel I'm gonna drop dead for a couple of hours of sleep! Yeah, that'll do some good, since I'm in no mood for University business whatsoever…' _– was Natsu's carefree thought. A smile slowly spread across his weary face as he imagined a soft pillow, so imagine his surprise when all of a sudden…

"Welcome to Kanashimi, Dragneel-san," a woman with scarlet hair tied into a tight knot on the back of her head said in a rather hostile manner, grabbing the pink-haired man's suitcase, hardly letting him set the second foot on the pavement, and turning to leave in her high-heeled shoes and black formal suit.

"Hi, I guess…" Natsu said confused, trying to catch up with the bossy lady. She was walking in a rather fast pace despite of the high heel shoes and since Natsu could only see the lady's back he noticed the fine curves of her figure. But the woman sure was odd and never even introduced herself. _'Kanashimi's Devil? Probably not… I mean she's hot, but not that hot,' _the man joked to himself, thus becoming a bit more relieved and realizing he had no luggage to carry. "Erm… you really shouldn't carry that…" he tried to snatch his suitcase from the weird woman, but she turned abruptly to face him, taking her hand away.

"This is not hard for me at all, now if you please, we are already late for the meeting…"

'_Meeting? What the fuck? I have just arrived haven't I?'_ Natsu thought, but said only: "Isn't it too early for a meeting? I mean I have just arrived and all that… Besides I don't even know your name to begin with, though I assume you are one of Kanashimi University's representatives?"

Erza blinked at him several times. "I'm sorry, that was really rude of me. My name is Erza Scarlet, I am the rectors first assistant. Nice to meet you, Dragneel-san," she offered the man her free hand never letting go of his luggage, though, and never smiling either.

'_Rector's assistant? Oh crap… This __**is **__Kanashimi's Devil… Just my luck…'_

"Hehe, nice to meet you too, Erza-san," he said laughing a bit uneasily.

"What is funny?" Natsu's new acquaintance asked with a frown, and he really, really didn't know what to answer.

"Erm… I… am just nervous, I guess…" he never even imagined that inventing something on the spot could resemble the truth so closely.

"Oh," the woman said. "Don't be," she kind of half-ordered and Natsu could understand why this woman was referred to as… well what she was. But his impression was rather of an Ice-Queen, something that the popsicle friend of his would like, since he was so fond of ice-cream and stuff.

'_Gray… Shit, I already miss the bastard! Hell, I even miss the old geezer! I knew there had to be some damned catch with this whole transfer thing!' _the boy thought following the scarlet-haired woman to the taxi (yep, another pleasant experience this day, fate must be really trying to make him miserable). What he didn't notice, though, was that for some reason for the first time in three months he didn't think about missing Lucy.

Approaching the automobile Erza said something to the driver who obeyed immediately and put Natsu's luggage on the back seat. The pink-haired man himself was about to sit near the driver since he wouldn't get too sick that way and already reached out his hand to the handle, when he heard a cough behind.

"Excuse me, Dragneel-san, I think it would be wiser for me to sit in front since it would be easier to tell the way."

Natsu grunted, but decided to comply. With a sour smile he took his seat at the back. The vehicle started its movement.

'_Crap! He even has pink hair. PINK! Of all the colours! The students are just going to laugh at him! And what's with the luggage? Only one suitcase? Does he wear the same clothes all the time? And that scarf… It's sure cute, but really a history teacher with a fanglike buckle and a checked scarf? Does he even know he's no cowboy?'_ Erza gave out a weary sigh and rubbed her eyelids. _'Oh, dear I hope he has a suit to attend lectures… and at least _something_ to wear at home!' _she sighed again. "Turn right at the next crossroad."

'_I think I'm gonna start vomiting with gall soon… Ugh…'_ Natsu thought trying his best to suppress the awful urges to empty his stomach yet again. _'Some hospitality they have here in Kanashimi… And that woman… who does she think she is ordering me about like that? I just gonna… Ugh… maybe later…'_ glancing out of the window Natsu suddenly saw something very familiar as for a place he has never been to. "Hey, isn't this the University?"

"It is," was the plain reply.

"Then why aren't we stopping?"

"Because you need to eat, wash and get properly dressed for the meeting," the woman said as if explaining something to a very-very dumb student.

"So… we're driving to a hotel?"

"You may call it that if you like, but I strongly recommend that you reconsider."

Natsu didn't understand a word she said. And it was annoying. Hell, her company was annoying! He hadn't even chosen a hotel to stay yet! Or maybe the University decided to provide him with lodgings… _'That would be good… Away from the scary assistant… as much away as possible…'_ Natsu thought dreamily as he suddenly felt the car pull over.

"Good. We're here, Dragneel-san," the lady said in a much calmer tone than before.

'_Probably getting rid of me is also on her top priority list…'_ Natsu mused with a smile. _'Well, at least we've got that in common,'_ he chuckled to himself.

"What is funny?" he was questioned the same thing for the second time that day and couldn't help but sweatdrop.

'_She really is studying me, isn't she now…'_

Then Erza suddenly blinked several times and bowed instantly. "I beg your pardon! You must be nervous again! That was disrespectful of me to forget that!" she straightened herself and added. "You shouldn't be nervous though. I'm a very hospitable person," she assured the man with a small and a little tense smile.

'_WHOA? Don't tell me I'm…'_

"Here, let me help you with your luggage…" Erza suggested but Natsu was faster this time and grabbed the suitcase before she could.

"There is no way I'm letting a woman carry my luggage again," Natsu thought he said it in his brain, but actually blurted out such a sexist remark to a really _really_ dangerous woman here. But to his surprise Erza just looked astounded for a moment but then smiled and nodded her head in agreement, showing her new guest the way. "Aren't we going to pay to the driver?" Natsu suggested.

"No need. He is on the University staff. He gets his wages in time. I make sure of that," the woman replied opening the door to the building where she lived.

"Oh… I see…" Natsu said, but in reality though:_ 'She's got everything under control… That's a little scary…'_

"We're here," the scarlet-haired woman said in a calmer tone than before unlocking the door of her two-bedroom apartment, and Natsu inwardly wondered if it was the new surrounding and the new _him_ that made her seem so hostile and bitchy at the beginning of their acquaintance. For her voice now sounded much more pleasant and at ease.

"Erm… Erza-san?" Natsu said cautiously following his host to the hallway. "Will it really be ok if I… well you know… stay at your place? I mean a hotel is fine…"

"A hotel _would_ be fine," was the simple answer. "But you see I was expecting a female teacher from Sekai, so having her around was no problem. But then…" Erza wanted to say – _you happened_, but held her tongue, "…there has been an unexpected change in the exchange program and, well… I didn't have the time to make all the necessary arrangements, and all the hotels are full."

"Yeah, I heard about that… The teacher refused to come, right?" small talk was good to keep the woman at ease for a longer period of time.

"What do you mean?" Erza shot him a confused glare. "She would love to come, but your rector asked Rob-sempai to reconsider her offer and choose you instead."

Now it was Natsu's turn to stare at the woman wide-eyed. "Whoa? That can't be! Makarov-sempai said…"

'_Wait a minute!'_ Natsu thought as it hit him. _'That's it! He just wanted to get rid of me! The old geezer thought the whole story up…'_

"…that bastard!" Natsu grunted under his breath, clenching his fists.

"Dragneel-san?" Erza looked questioningly at the man. "Did you say something?"

"Huh? I-I… n-no…" he laughed sheepishly again.

'_Oh dear, oh dear… He's going to get in trouble with the students if he gets nervous that easily…'_ Erza sweatdropped.

'_I'm behaving like a total idiot! The way she looks at me just proves my point… Crap!'_

Meanwhile Gerard was having it a lot simpler in the ever sunny Kofuku.

"Yo, Gerard-san!" a very short old man shouted waving his hand at the blue-haired newcomer.

"Good afternoon," the history teacher replied politely, bowing to the older man.

"Oh, cut with that will 'ya ma boy!" Makarov said offering the new exchange teacher his hand. "I am Kofuku University's new rector Makarov Dreyar! Nice to meet you, son."

"My name is Gerard Fernandez," the blue-haired man said shaking the offered hand, "I am the head of the history department at Kanashimi's University."

The last sentence made Makarov's grin grow even wider. _'Not only have I gotten rid of the troublesome Dragneel, but I have also acquired a superb teacher for a whole term! This Gerard Fernandez – the man who wrote "History. The Tale of Gross Mistakes"! I had myself a fine bargain there!' _the old man chuckled. "You must be tired from the long trip. Let us get you to a nice hotel. Don't worry all expenses are on the University," the rector winked and Gerard was surprised at first but then smiled himself and chuckled inwardly at something only he knew.

'_Erza would not tolerate such a behavior from a rector. Though now I can see why Rob-sempai couldn't say no to this man. They were probably pretty close in college. I wonder how Erza's having it? She's probably not too hot about a male cohabitant…' _the man thought with worry. _'I wonder who the hell this Natsu Dragneel is?' _Gerard thought as some unpleasant emotion started surging in him. _'Guess I'll call Erza as soon as I reach the hotel and find it out.'_

While Makarov and Gerard were on their way to the hotel, the file of the latter memorized to the slightest details by the former, Rob was sitting in his office studying the newly sent file on Natsu Dragneel.

"Rob-sempai?" Millianna asked concerned since the old man was never taking his eyes off a certain page in the transfer teacher's file. "Is anything wrong?"

The old man only shook his head with a frown. "Nope, it's all just as I thought. You may go, Milly. Just inform me when the new teacher and Erza arrive."

"Of course, Rob-sempai. If you excuse me," the girl bowed and left the rectors office, only to be greeted by… "Wally? What are you doing here?" Millianna exclaimed blushing as the man was sitting on her desk thumbing through one of his magazines on economics.

"I just came to say 'hi' and check up on how you're doing," the man explained with a smug smile.

"Oh… But don't you have class?" the girl pouted.

"I left the kids to do some sums, they'll be stuck with the task for the rest of the line," Wally chuckled.

"Erza wouldn't like that," Milly stated plainly.

Wally just shrugged. "She's not here anyway," and then a bit more nervously, "You won't tell her, will you?"

Millianna shook her head with a sad expression on her cute cat-like face. "No, I won't… Somehow I feel that Rob-sempai has gotten her and himself into a hell of a mess… no need to upset her even more."

"Mess?" Wally asked surprised. "What kind of mess?" the man blinked with curiosity.

"Natsu Dragneel, huh?" Rob sighed with a frown. _'This kid is like Makarov when he was young… No wonder the old geezer decided to get rid of him at least for a term. That dirty dog,'_ Rob smiled in defeat, _'__**he**__ can't even stand the young version of himself, how am I supposed to influence him? Then again Porlyusica was the one to always deal with us. Maybe Erza…'_ he thought but then shook his head vigorously. "No. If she's anything like Porlyusica, then… at some moment she might…" the old man clenched his fists – no matter how old he was he was still strong and quite fit for his age – and made a decision. "I can't let that happen."

"Dragneel-san!" Erza shouted behind the bathroom door. "Do you still need more time? If we don't leave in five minutes then we will be late!" the woman warned with a serious voice.

"Yeah, I'll be right out," Natsu shouted in return, but Erza didn't believe a word he said since she could still hear the water pouring in the shower. The woman grunted and stomped to the kitchen just in time to hear her cell phone ringing.

"Hi, Honey! I thought you would never call!" Erza started rambling right on, while taking the hidden photos of her and Gerard and putting them back to place. Why she hid them in the first place you would ask. Well, that is quite simple – female logic. Desire Cardiac was a woman and women are curious, plus they can be very envious and ask unnecessary questions head on, so Erza decided she just had to keep her private life hidden from female eyes. But Desire didn't come, hence there was no need for hiding anything, since men were not that curious or at least wouldn't ask embarrassing questions, moreover having pictures of herself with another man made Erza feel… well, safe. Not that she thought the new guest would try to hit on her – he'd regret it if he did – but he was still a man and it was safer that way, it was like a silent 'I'm not single, so don't even think about it!' And Erza smiled proudly at her innuendo.

Meanwhile Natsu was struggling with his new clothes in the bathroom. October in Kofuku and October in Kanashimi seemed to be different months. In Kofuku he could wear his usual outfit all year round so the man kind of grew into the clothes, but in Kanashimi the weather was considerably colder, though not too cold. He didn't notice it at first because he was escorted to the taxi right after the arrival, but looking out of the window at the thermometer about a half an hour earlier Natsu's eyes grew slightly wide. Seeing that he was at a loss of what to wear his new host conjured up a neat dark-blue warm formal suit that seemed just a bit too big for him, though no one would probably notice that.

'_Shit… I hate looking that formal…'_ Natsu thought eyeing his reflection with a frown. _'Where did she get the suit from anyway? From what it seems she lives alone… Hah, no wonder!' _the man grunted loosening his tie a bit. _'Big brother? Father? Some guy she kidnapped and buried the body later?' _Natsu chuckled to himself, opening the bathroom door. Joking was one of his ways to stay calm and keep it cool. He was already about to tell Erza he was ready to go, when he saw a photo of her and a blue-haired man on a side table in the hallway. He was sure it wasn't there when he arrived… Wait! Blue hair? "No way!" Natsu whispered remembering his experience from the train, and as if for a complete confirmation of his guess he caught a piece of Knashimi Devil's conversation.

"I'm so sorry, Gerard but I just had to lend him your suit. I mean the guy didn't even know the weather conditions here!" she paused. "I don't know… is it really ok that way? I mean I could ask Wally or Richard…" another pause, then a sigh, "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm glad everything's fine with you in Kofuku," chuckle. "Yeah, kiss you too! Bye!"

'_Gerard…'_ Natsu looked at the picture again. _'So he and Erza… And he's the guy who got my job!' _Natsu clenched his fists and stomped into the kitchen. "I'm ready, Erza-san. Let's go," he said in a serious tone catching Erza off guard and making her look at the clock.

'_Well what do you know… He's punctual.'_

"How was your trip, Gerard-san?" a white-haired lady with blue eyes and a sweet smile asked politely while showing the newcomer to the rector's office.

"It was good, thank you, Mirajane-san," came a matching reply.

"Just call me Mira-san, or simply Mira. It's easier that way," the lady suggested opening the door to the newcomer and stepping a bit aside.

As soon as the door opened Gerard was greeted by the ever cheerful rector. "Come on in, Gerard-san! Everyone has been waiting for you!"

Stepping inside Gerard started feeling uneasy because of his formal outfit. Sure he wasn't wearing warm clothes, but he still had a tie and was wearing shoes and not sneakers or sandals like the rest of the teachers. Speaking of which.

"This is the head of history department – Laxus Dreyar," Makarov announced. "If you have any questions as to the teaching process you're welcome to ask him."

"Pleased to meet you, Laxus-san."

"Yeah, whatever," the man waved and Gerard got surprised at such a reaction.

"Haha," Makarov laughed sheepishly. "Don't mind him, Gerard-san. Laxus is always like that," the rector cleared his throat and went on: "This is Gray Fullbuster – our top math teacher. He is also one of the best friends of Natsu Dragneel whom you are standing in for, so he can enlighten you on the personality of our beloved history teacher."

'_Beloved my ass,'_ Gray though with a frown. _'The old hypocrite.'_

"Nice to meet you, Gray-san."

"Uh-huh," the man nodded with a smile that was sort of relieving as for Gerard.

"Moving on…" and so the rector introduced Gerard to Levy MacGarden, the literature teacher; Reedus Jonah, arts teacher; Freed Justine, having courses in English and calligraphy and finally with Lucy Heartfilia and Loke… he forgot the surname, who were the only ones to neatly bow and say 'nice to meet you, Gerard-san'. The other teachers seemed to have ignored the rector's order to come to the meeting since it was Friday and all that, which was inexplicable as to Gerard. For in Kanashimi no one would dare to disobey an order, no matter how scary that sounds.

"Now that you've met almost everyone I may say – welcome to Kofuku, Gerard-san!"

"Do not speak unless you're addressed to. Don't laugh unless people around you laugh. And don't…" Erza said irritated tightening the man's tie, "…fumble with the tie!" the woman grunted and before Natsu could object opened the door to a large hall.

All the words abandoned the pink-haired history teacher's mouth as soon as he saw the grandour of the room before him. It was… huge! The walls were painted in cream paint with golden patterns on it. The ceilings were about 5 meters high and there was an expensive thick white carpet under a long redwood table with about twenty chairs beside it. The rector of the University was sitting at the head of the table smiling at… Erza? Natsu looked at the old man and then at his new acquaintance only to confirm his guess. Then the old man looked at Natsu with a sterner glance and motioned for both of them to sit down.

"Welcome to the University of Kanashimi, Dragneel Natsu-san," the rector greeted with a smile. "You may call me Rob-sempai as I am the rector of this University and Makarov-sempai's close friend. He told me a lot of interesting things about you…"

'_Well that can't be good news now, can it?'_ Natsu sweatdropped taking his seat and starting to laugh sheepishly again earning a death glare from Erza and shutting up instantly. _'No wonder she has everything under control here… Who can possibly object to this woman?'_ the man thought and for the first time regretted his decision to sign up for the exchange program. "Thank you, Rob-sempai. It will be an honour for me to work at such a prominent University if even only for a term," Natsu said and Rob nodded.

"Well then, it's time I introduced you to the staff," Rob said standing up from his seat so that everyone could see him. "I would like you to meet Vidaldus Taka-san, who will be in charge of the history department while Gerard-san is away. Like you, Vidaldus-san is a history teacher, but he specializes in ancient history."

"Pleased to meet you, Dragneel-san," the man with the long black hair said in a calm tone.

"Yo, Vidaldus! Good to know I'm not the only one left!" Natsu exclaimed cheerfully, while Vidaldus stared at the man wide-eyed then nodded somewhat uncertainly. Erza just facepalmed herself and Rob gave out a barely audible chuckle.

'_Yep, just like the old devil! He's like Makarov, only looks taller,'_ the old man chuckled to that thought as well. And then continued: "This is Hibiki Lates-san, he is our top psychology teacher and the head of the psychology department at the same time," Rob said pointing to a blonde hunk – Natsu's opinion – sitting beside Vidaldus, who was constantly making notes and eyeing Natsu with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you, Natsu-san."

"You too, I guess," the pink-haired man said somewhat uneasily. He didn't like being studied especially during his first day on campus. Suddenly Natsu felt someone hit his leg under the table. "Oww! What was that for?" he looked at Erza offended, while the female never looked back at him, a vein popping on her forehead.

And so it went on like that. Rob introduced the Buchanen brothers – Wally and Richard – both heads of different departments: the first was a math teacher and the latter the economy teacher. Ikaruga who was the head of the foreign literature department and Ultear Milkovich a creepy lady that seemed to be in charge of the Latin department. Natsu was getting tired of all those names and almost fell asleep, when Rob-sempai announced the last name on the list.

"And of course you have already met our wonderful Erza Scarlet," the man said with some fatherly softness in his voice, "who happens to be my first assistant, the dean of the foreign languages department and a lecturer in foreign literature."

Natsu's eyes grew wide as he listened to how many things this one and only slender woman was in charge of. _'She's got to have nerves of steel…'_ the man thought while his dislike towards her changed to a sort of admiration for the scarlet-haired female beside him. She was looking straight at Rob-sempai with a small blush and smile on her face, and Hibiki could notice the way Natsu was looking at the fearsome teacher.

'_Interesting,'_ he thought and made another note about the new transfer teacher.

Several minutes later when Vidaldus gave Natsu his schedule for the term and showed him around the history department a bit, the pink-haired man said a 'thank you' and went outside. Or at least he tried. It was pouring… and everyone had umbrellas, except for… Natsu of course. The man grunted a curse under his breath and snuggled into what he thought was his scarf. Wrong again. Erza made him leave his scarf at her apartment because 'it didn't fit with the suit'. Natsu growled again. Suddenly a flash of red appeared in front of him and then went up. No, it was not Erza's hair. It was her umbrella.

"You could have at least waited for me, or said you were going out. I have been looking all over for you," she stated plainly never looking at the man beside her. "Let's go," and she started moving with Natsu on toe.

Looking at the woman from the corner of his eye, Natsu saw that she was not only carrying the red umbrella but also a sack of some papers and stuff. This day was annoying. She was annoying! "Here let me help you with that," the man said firmly grabbing the umbrella from the woman's hand.

"D-Dragneel-san?" she gasped with surprise.

"And this too," he said snatching the bag with the papers away from her. Natsu saw Erza wanting to object, but then she reconsidered and agreed to him carrying her things with a sigh and a small smile. _'Good,'_ Natsu thought. _'It's good to know I can still have at least something under control.'_

Gerard Fernandez was still sweating, although it was almost evening. Kofuku in October was no Kanashimi… The man figured he would have to shop for other clothes during the weekend, since he was more prepared for the cold Sekai and not for a sunny town like Kofuku. The good news was that this day was finally over. The rector personally showed Gerard around the campus and the thoughtful secretary printed his schedule out for him. Monday was an easy day with two lines only so he still could afford some sightseeing. Making up some plans the blue-haired man didn't notice that someone was waiting for him at the main building's entrance.

"Oi, tattoo-face!" a male voice shouted making Gerard frown but turn around all the same. He though it was some student, but in reality he saw…

"Gray-san?"

"Yup. Sorry for the nickname," the brunette rubbed the back of his head. "It's a sort of Natsu-and-me thing… Can't get rid of it," he explained.

"I see."

"Here," Gray offered the man a can of beer and opened his own taking a sip.

"Thank you, Gray-san…"

"Just drop the 'san', ok?" Gray suggested.

"…Gray. But is it really ok… I mean on the premises…" Gerard asked looking around if there was anyone who could see them drinking alcohol right at the University door.

"Chill, Gerard!" the math teacher said clapping the former on the shoulder and almost making him drop his beer. "Everyone's gone for the day."

"Ok, I guess it's fine then…" he smiled at how easily Natsu's friend dropped the 'san' himself.

"Gerard," Gray said somewhat seriously as they both sat on the grass near the football field. "I've got to warn you about something. That's the least I could do as Natsu's friend," the brunette started while Gerard eyed him carefully, slowly sipping the soothing cool beer. "What the old geezer, aka the rector, said about Natsu isn't true. He's not liked around here. Even more than that the teachers hate him."

"Hate him?" Gerard asked puzzled. "Why?"

Gray only chuckled to that. "He's a real pain in the ass," the sentence didn't provide much information, but it gave a hint somehow. "Anyway, Natsu's a really good teacher, he knows and loves his subject, plus he is also one to stand up for students rather than the teachers, so the kids love him…"

"…and the teachers don't," Gerard concluded and Gray just nodded.

"I'm telling you this because the rector and the rest will try to use you to suppress the hyper active behavior of Natsu's students…"

"And you don't want me to do that?" Gerard suggested.

Gray just shrugged. "You may do what you please. From what I know of Natsu he'll probably turn your group into a bunch of uncontrollable history fanatics," seeing Gerard chuckle Gray raised an eyebrow. "What's funny?"

"Let's just say a certain someone I know will not let that happen," the blue-haired man said gazing dreamily at the setting sun, an insuppressible urge to call Erza surging in him.

Gray eyed him quizzically. "If you say so… Anyway what I'm asking you is to consider things from the student's point of view before doing anything. Natsu would appreciate that."

Gerard didn't really know why he should do anything that would please this Natsu Dragneel. Especially after he had seen his picture at the history department. Pink hair… Could it have been the same man with pink hair he had seen during his drive to Kofuku? Was this the man who placed this strange foreboding inside of him? That was a possibility. And now this man was living in his house, with his Erza and was going to lecture his students. Gerard clenched his fists and sent the empty beer can into the trashcan.

"I'll see what I can do. Thank you for the advice and for the beer, Gray," the man said standing up and with that he was off to the hotel, leaving the brunette behind.

Erza was cleaning the dishes after the totally awkward supper in silence with the weird Natsu Dragneel. She had already retold the events to Gerard who called some minutes earlier just to check on how his girlfriend was doing. And Erza confessed that it was the most awkward evening in her entire life. Sure two or three times Natsu had tried to start a conversation, but it didn't last long, so the man finally gave up, thanked for the meal, excused himself and went to the guest room. Erza couldn't really blame him for that. She was the one to give short answers and not asking anything in return. She sighed. Maybe she was too cruel to the poor guy. He was alone in an unfamiliar town with no warm clothes and no one even to talk to… _'Should I go and apologize?'_ the woman pondered over while putting the last of the dishes to dry. _'Maybe I should,'_ she decided putting the kettle on.

The woman went over to the guest room the door to which was slightly opened and was about to knock when she heard Natsu's voice shout from over there.

"Colonel, we have to retreat, now!" – "No! Never surrender my soldiers, the victory will be ours!"

Peeping inside Erza saw something that she could never imagine she would. Natsu Dragneel placed a whole battlefield on the floor with tiny soldiers, cannons and even battlements! One army was clad in red and the other in blue, some of the soldiers have already fallen or so Erza thought as she saw a lot of them lying on their backs. Anyone else would have laughed at it, mocked Natsu and most people did. But Erza was… totally taken aback. Her surprise made her say what she thought aloud.

"This is such an interesting method…" the woman said with arms crossed and curiosity spelled on her face. And her voice made Natsu shoot his head up to meet her gaze.

"Oh, that… Well, erm… it's childish I know, but…"

"I don't think it's childish," Erza cut him short stepping inside the room and sitting on the floor beside him making him move away a bit. "It's very interesting, indeed."

"Really?" Natsu asked surprised.

"Aa," the woman nodded with a small smile and as if by magic the kettle started whistling signalizing that the water was boiled. "How about you tell me about this battle more over a cup of tea with muffins? This is the Battle of Agincourt I suppose?"

"Wow," Natsu said surprised.

Erza just shrugged. "That's what dating a history teacher would give you. But I don't know the details, so…"

"Sure I'll tell you!" the pink-haired man said enthusiastically, following his host to the kitchen.

There was no problem with talking anymore. Erza asked questions and Natsu gladly answered them forgetting at times to drink his tea, and Erza never forgetting to pour some hot water into his cup. The man was gesturing and shouting at times imitating the French or British soldiers and Erza chuckled or gasped at times. It was a good evening and Natsu even insisted he do the washing, while Erza went to the shower and changed into her pajamas. Later lying in his bed Natsu couldn't help but smile. _'Finally someone other than Gray acknowledged my method! Lucy only laughed at it when I said it was a serious research… But this Erza…'_ Natsu yawned and then smiled. _'Maybe she's not that bad after all.'_

**Yay! My longest chapter so far is out :3 I truly hope it wasn't very boring… sorry if it was. Still you must understand that things don't change overnight and Erza has to start trusting our hyper teacher some more in order to see a man in him. And Natsu has to figure out who she really is in order to ease up around her and show his 'true self'! Mwa-ha-ha!)) So keep your fingers crossed for Natsu as the events unravel. I'll try to update in a week, but I'm not promising anything =P Till then!**


	4. Chapter 3: The Greatest Vocation

**Chapter 3: The Greatest Vocation**

Natsu Dragneel eyed the room cautiously. Then looked at the clock on the wall and let his eyes travel around the room once more. His hands started turning wet and a traitorous bead of sweat made its way down the man's back. For the first time since he came to Kanashimi Natsu wish he had his normal clothes on because it wasn't cold here anymore. Natsu felt he was going to boil. The pink-haired man gulped, then loosened his tie. For the first time in his life Natsu Dragneel was nervous. And he had good reasons for that too. The clock showed 8.20 am – 10 more minutes before the class began – and everyone was already sitting in the room. Usually Natsu was late for any type of class, but today he figured he had to make a good first impression, so he came earlier. And stress was all he got… All the students were present. They all sat still and eyed the new teacher curiously. No chatter, no laughing, no one absent. Natsu gulped again.

'_Should I go out for the remaining 10 minutes or stay and start the lecture already?'_ the man thought fumbling with the list of students. _'What kind of teacher is this Gerard anyway? I never had as much students present…' _Natsu grunted, cleared his throat and went over to the blackboard to write down his name.

Meanwhile a purple-haired tanned student turned to his weird-looking friend with a raised eyebrow: "Midnight, the guy has pink hair… Is that alright for a teacher?"

"You're one to talk, Cobra. Besides Gerard-san has blue hair and Erza-san – red. Guess it's typical of teachers," the black-haired student snorted with irony, playing with his pen. The silent dialogue was suddenly interrupted when the weird new teacher started talking.

"Good morning, everyone," Natsu tried to sound as cheerful as he could, "you probably wonder why Gerard-san isn't here to deliver a lecture as usual. Well, that's because we kind of switched places for the term and you'll have to bear with me for this period of time," the pink-haired smiled but earned himself brief nods of acknowledgement that made him sweatdrop, but never let his smile fade. "Good then. My name is Natsu Dragneel I'm a history teacher at Kofuku University. Ever heard of that one?" some students nodded to this, others shook their heads, but no one ever said a word. No questions, no remarks, no reaction at all. _'Are these people even alive? They look like robots… differently dressed robots…'_ the man's thoughts were interrupted by one seemingly annoyed robot.

"Dragneel-san, maybe you should start with the lecture already? Time is running out you know?" the sentence was uttered by a boy sitting somewhere at the back bench. Natsu took a close look at him, or was it her? Sure the voice was male, but the appearance was that of a… goth? Natsu almost laughed at the irony of a strict institution like Kanashimi University allowing their students to dye their hair white and black and moreover paint their lips purple. This guy was a weird and cheeky one. He made Natsu grin. Negative reaction was still a reaction and he needed one to get his senses back, so he was thankful to the goth-guy and announced the topic of the lecture.

"Ok, today we will start speaking about _The Wars of the Roses_." And momentarily everyone bowed their heads and started writing. This was going to be a tiresome lecture.

Meanwhile Gerard Fernandez wasn't having it any easier in the sunny Kofuku. In fact he was having it a lot worse. Entering the medium-sized room that could have enough seats for only 60 people from the 100 on the list, the blue-haired man frowned when he saw about 30 people present. He looked at his watch that showed 8.30 sharp, then at the present students, who were either lolling back in their chairs or laughing and chatting as if it still was break time, then eyed the list and the schedule – yes this was the sophomore group and there had to be 100 students present. So why were there only thirty?

"Good morning," Gerard called for attention clearing his throat rather loudly. No one seemed to hear him. He cleared his throat again. "Excuse me!"

"Huh?" a tall guy with white hair asked turning slightly to meet the newcomer. "You want anything?"

Gerard frowned. "I believe it's already the beginning of the class. And I am your new teacher, so you should…"

"New teacher?" the boy gaped and all the rest fell silent, stopped chatting and turned over to eye the blue-haired imposter. Yep, that's exactly how they saw him. "What happened to Natsu-san? Did the old geezer fire him? That is soo un…" –fair the boy meant to say, but was interrupted with a raised hand, a gesture Gerard often used to calm people down. No one knew how he did it, but somehow it always worked on students.

"Calm down, everyone," he reassured. "Natsu-san was not fired. I am simply standing in for him since we both took part in a teacher exchange program between Kofuku and Kanashimi University. I will be your teacher for the term, while Natsu-san will be teaching my students in Kanashimi," he explained and hardly had a chance to finish, for the reaction followed immediately.

"Whoa? That's the University Natsu-san wanted to apply for a job at, but some bastard got the place…" a small pink-haired girl shouted with excitement.

"Erm… Meredy," Lyon elbowed his groupmate, "this might be the guy…" he whispered, but of course as much as students would like to have it the other way, teachers always hear everything.

Gerard just sweatdropped. Regaining his senses he made the last attempt to start this lecture: "Please calm down, everyone. My name is Gerard Fernandez and today I will deliver a lecture on the preconditions of _The Wars of the Roses. _So please put the topic down."

Unwillingly the students did start writing and Gerard was already about to give out a sigh of relief when suddenly a hand shot up. It was the same pink-haired girl.

"Yes?" Gerard asked, thinking that she was probably going to ask him to repeat the topic, but what she said caught the man completely off guard.

"Gerard-san, why do you have a tattoo on your face?"

The blue-haired teacher just sweatdropped again. Not for the last time that day.

Natsu grunted gathering his papers. He let the students go earlier today. Why? Because they were so damned passive! In Kofuku Natsu usually left about 10 minutes for questions at the end of each lecture and that was never enough! Sometimes his students got late for the next class because they spent the whole recess asking stuff like 'what was that army dressed in?' or 'did the colonel have a wife?' or even 'how do you think was it a good move or not?' Natsu enjoyed it. He was asking them questions in return and that stimulated their logical thinking. Logical! Whereas these kids… were crammers. Ok, not all of them but most of them were. And Natsu hated crammers. The only thing they asked during the lecture was: "Natsu-san, but you just gave us a different definition of (this or that) term… What's the correct one?" That made him want to shout: both, are you morons? A person is pretty much capable of infallibly formulating the same ideas with different words!

'_Wait! Infallibly formulating ideas? Oh, God, I started talking smart! I need a drink… Where's Gray when I need him?'_

Sighing and packing, Natsu went out of the room, never noticing a single student in a cap leave through the back door of the room.

Gerard was literally panting and sweating. These kids gave him a hard time… Not only did he fail to manage to give them all the information, but he also got problems explaining things. The students kept asking him to explain a definition rather than dictate it. They were of the opinion that saying something in their own words would show a better understanding of the subject at the exam. _'Whoever gave them that idea?'_ Gerard asked himself rhetorically. _'Sure there are a lot of things to tell with your own words but how can one explain dates? There are things that just have to be memorized, don't they understand it?' _the blue-haired man finished gathering his papers and took out his cell phone. He just had to call her. NOW!

"Hello?" Erza said answering to a call from an unknown number.

"Hello, am I speaking to Erza Scarlet?" a polite male voice spoke from the other side of the line.

"You are," she confirmed. "Who is this?"

"My name is Seth Smith. I am an administrator at 'Blueberry Hotel'. I believe you made a reservation earlier?"

"Yes-yes, I did," the woman spoke remembering the name of the hotel.

"I am calling to inform you that one of our guests left earlier than expected and we have a vacant room, but a lot of people willing to have it, because of the annual Autumn Parade…"

"I see your point," the woman cut him short abruptly. "I'll take it."

"Very well. Are you willing to pay in by a credit card?"

"Give me your account number."

Several minutes later everything has been settled. Sitting in her office Erza wondered if she had done the right thing. Sure having an unknown male around was weird and could cause rumours to spread, but still…

'_I wonder how he's doing after that awful lecture,'_ Erza thought sighing. _'Like I thought they made fun of his hair… Figures.' _

Erza was there from the start. She was sitting behind Midnight and Cobra and heard all what they were saying. She wanted to smack them at times. Like when Cobra said: "Ok, he already said that, but in a different way… Doesn't he have a lecture plan or something?" or when Midnight got bored and fell asleep. Cobra tried to wake him, but the latter just snorted: "He's not giving precise information. I better read the book later." Those comments made a vein pop on Erza's forehead. The students at her University were showing disrespect. Sure this Dragneel had methods that differed tremendously from those of Gerard, but still… She didn't find the lecture boring, or uninformative. The pink-haired just gave history some flavour, tried to make the students imagine the events rather than give them bare, dry facts.

'_They just got used to Gerard, that's all…'_ the woman thought and a sudden shudder spread across her body. She stiffened not sure what caused it and held her breath. _'What was that all about…? I'm not __**used**__ to Gerard! I'm in __**love**__ with him!'_ she said to herself rather angrily and as if by magic her cell phone started ringing again. This time she knew the number pretty well.

"Hi, honey," pause. "W-what…? H-hold on! Gerard speak slower, will you?" another pause. "Uh-huh… Uh-huh…" she laughed. "They really asked you about the tattoo? Ok, sorry, sorry…" while Gerard was into his frustrated complaining, Erza heard a knock on the door. "Hold on, someone's knocking. Who is it?" Erza asked turning to her formal voice.

"Erza-san, may I come in?" Natsu Dragneel said with a small smile, opening the door.

"Good morning, Dragneel-san. Do come in," she motioned for him to sit down on the chair, while whispering: "Call you later, ok? In ten minutes, maybe… Uh-huh. Bye!"

Then the lady turned to Natsu and eyed him with what he perceived as… concern?

"How was your first day?" the scarlet-haired lady asked leaning with her hips on the table and with arm crossed under her chest.

The sight was… obviously distracting him from gathering any useful thoughts, so Natsu just mumbled something like: "It was ok." Liar.

"Really?" Erza raised an eyebrow at him. "That is good to hear. So… no problems at all?"

"Not a single one," the pink-haired teacher said with a smile. Liar.

Erza just smiled herself. "Then why did you come here? I'm of no help when it comes to history, so…"

"I just wanted to ask you a favour."

"Which is?"

"Could you give me the keys to Gerard-san's room in here? I would like to check some books for the next lecture, since…" he wanted to say something like 'since the robotic students would want dictating!' but decided to mild it down with another lie: "…I forgot one of my books at home and I really need it for the next class."

Erza pondered over the request and nodded after several seconds, fumbling in her purse and fishing Gerard's keys out.

"There you go," she said handing them to the pink-haired and jerked her hand back as his fingers shot her with electricity. "Ouch." They both said and smiled.

"S-sorry… I guess it's because of the suit," Natsu suggested, taking the keys to his pocket. "When should I return those?"

Erza just shrugged. "Keep them as long as you stay. Just don't let anyone else in and don't mess with his stuff too much, alright?"

Somehow Natsu felt like saying 'Aye, sir!' but he only nodded instead. He was already about to leave when Erza remembered one more thing.

"Dragneel-san?"

"Yeah?"

"I have confirmed your hotel reservation. You may sign in today. Don't worry all the expenses are on the University."

"Oh…" he muttered. "Thank you. I'll… I guess I'll just get my things and sign in today."

Erza nodded looking at him with interest. Was he… sad?

"Bye then," Natsu waved and went out of the room a little too quickly in Erza's point of view. _'Shit, Natsu! Don't show her you're sad! Why would you be sad? I'm definitely drinking tonight! Days like this one make me remember why I hate Mondays!' _the man thought making his way to Gerard's office but involuntarily walking right in the opposite direction.

The doors closed and Erza was alone again. Walking to the window she looked outside at the wonderful scenery of colourful leaves. She smiled. The scarlet-haired lady picked up her phone and meant to call Gerard like she promised, but somehow didn't feel like talking to him right now. Besides she still had to figure out a way to punish Cobra and Midnight for their lack of respect to teachers. Yes, she would think about **that** now.

**A lot of blah-blah-blah again I know and I'm sorry! But trust me two more chapters like this and then things will get very interesting ;) But as always I'm not promising fast updates, because I'm stuck with a LOT of paperwork T_T and I can't seem to sort it out… Till then, my friends. I wish you all the patience in the world with me :3**


	5. Chapter 4: Walls

**Chapter 4: Walls**

"_**Sometimes we put up walls not to keep people out but to see who cares enough to break them down."**_

Natsu had been viewing this citation for some time now. It was somehow charming but at the same time made no sense to him at all. The pink-haired history teacher completely disagreed with the sentence, but if he were asked why, no answer on his part would follow. He didn't like it, but somehow didn't know how to explain the reasons for that. This was a very annoying fact, since his head was occupied with the silly quotation scribbled in pencil on the cover page of one of the books he borrowed from the university library, instead of thinking over the lecture plan for his next class. He screwed up big time on his first lecture, so something had to be done. He took some of Gerard's books, finding that awful "_History. The Tale of Gross Mistakes"_ among them. Natsu almost choked on his own saliva when he saw that Gerard Fernandez was the author of it. He hated that book. Not because he was jealous of its success, but because of the general tone of the author's writing. Gerard made history look like a graveyard with crude tombstones and himself being an old undertaker with sad eyes, always guarding it. Every meaningful historical event according to Prof. Fernandez was a grave mistake of humans and it is there to teach us not to repeat it, but as humans are not too much into history, he claims that we are bound to repeat the same mistakes with the same awful consequences and never break the vile circle. He saw history as mere facts, data, statistics. There was no romance, no passion, no flavour in his writing. Just gloom and dry facts.

For Natsu history was a different matter altogether. His deceased father taught him to love those stories of great victories and devastating failures. And it made him boil in anger that someone as smart as Gerard took this thrill from the students, turning them to robots working on names, dates and figures. Natsu grunted and turned from his back to the side on the soft hotel bed. The room was small but nice: blue wallpaper with some abstract patterns, a rather big bed (like the one he used to share with Lucy, he mentally commented), a dark blue arm-chair, a desk with a chair, TV, some bedside tables and of course a small bathroom. Natsu found the room quite comfortable and had nothing to complain about, apart from the fact that it was boring to be here alone. Somehow after his class miss bossy-Kanashimi's-devil-Erza-san never appeared before his eyes at the University. And when he came looking for her the other day, Vidaldus said she had already left. Natsu was grunting because it was stupid and he hadn't seen her for only three days, but somehow all of the other teachers were so weird he wanted to talk particularly to Erza. The citation in the book showed itself to him again, and with a frown he shut it. Stood up and went over to the desk to write a proper lecture plan.

Aspirin. Water. Pillow. All that she needed now. Erza was exhausted. She had so many things to take care of, even Milly felt sorry for her. Ikaruga got ill, so Erza had to stand in for her, since she didn't want inexperienced teachers to take up graduates. Rob-sempai asked her for help with the inspection that was to come to the University, Hibiki's new textbook had some trouble with publishing and moreover Gerard lost his cell phone. That last event made the woman with the steel spine collapse. Aspirin. Water. Pillow. She read his email over and over again: _"Hi, honey, how are you doing? You are probably wondering why a computer hater like me writes you an email. The thing is I think someone stole my phone… I remember leaving it at the department… But no, I don't think it was one of the teachers. Although they ARE quite weird around here… It'll take me some time to get a new one, but a teacher called Gray Fullbuster promised to help me find a cheap and good one. He is… strange, but nice. Like everyone here, I guess. Don't worry, I'll send you emails everyday! Fortunately there's this coffee-shop with internet connection, so I can do that. Got to run, because I still have one more lecture today. Kiss you!"_

Erza closed her laptop and her eyes. She sighed. This was the last straw. Gerard was the only person she would talk to about her worries, and now that those doubled, he was deprived of the opportunity to hear his voice. Writing was not the same. The good news was that there was only Friday left this week. She could manage one more day, yeah.

"What lines to I have tomorrow?" the woman said wearily, taking up her thick notebook. "English… English… oh," she stopped, "literature with Midnight's group," the woman frowned. "The ones that behaved in a horrible way towards Dragneel," and then it hit her. "Right, Dragneel! Oh, god, I completely forgot about him!" she facepalmed herself grunting even louder. "What kind of an assistant am I… I hope he's fine…" she muttered and yawned. She'll talk to him tomorrow after the punishment of the naughty students. But today… she was tired. Her head and heart were aching, from different reasons, though. So she decided she should sleep. It was 8 pm. Erza Scarlet was cheerfully greeted in dreamland.

Morning for Natsu came at about 9 am and the pink-haired man found that he had fallen asleep with the books scattered all over him. His head was pulsating, so he rubbed his aching temples and made his way to the bathroom. He still had some four hours before the second lecture with the same group he failed last time, so enough to refresh himself and his strategy.

Meanwhile Erza was done with her first two lines and was already anticipating the awful encounter with Midnight's group. Oh, they were so gonna get it. Thumbing through a James Joyce novel, she was waiting for the students to take their seats with a stern look that none of them minded much, since she was almost always like this. She looked at her watch. Perfect. Class started. Everyone was quiet as usual. They sat still with opened copybooks ready for note taking. But today was not the case. Erza uttered one word. A simple word that got the students pretty surprised.

"Quiz."

And that was everything she needed to say.

When the class was over and students handed in their papers with sad faces, probably having an evil foreboding as to their results, Erza asked them to stay for some time.

"Midnight. Cobra. Would you come over?" she ordered rather that suggested.

"Yes, Erza-sama," they said simultaneously and stepped forward.

"How do you like your new substitute teacher, Natsu Dragneel?" she asked pretending to be checking their assignments, shaking her head from time to time, indicating that the answer was wrong.

"He's… ok," Cobra said cautiously.

"Ok?" Erza raised an eyebrow.

"He's not Gerard-sensei," Midnight grunted and got kicked in the ribs from his friend. "What?" he retorted. "It's true!"

"Really? So he's unlike Gerard?" Erza asked rhetorically. "Funny, I thought he was his twin brother."

Cobra gulped and Midnight grunted. The tone of Erza's voice meant trouble.

"A little bird told me that you were not that hospitable with our guest," Erza said looking through the window.

"What kind of bird?" Midnight grunted clenching his fists at whoever got him busted.

"Oh, you know… I don't really remember… it flew on my shoulder through the open window when I was sitting behind the two of you during our guest's first line!" she raised her voice at the end and now it was Midnight's time to gulp. Silence followed and lasted for some time, before…

"We… we're sorry, Erza-san!" a girl from the back tried to support her friends.

"Tch," she grunted, "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. Did you understand me? Midnight, Cobra?"

The two boys nodded.

"Good," Erza voice changed to a subtler and calmer one and she slowly took up their papers and handed it to the dumbfounded Cobra. "Here, take these. I'm not willing to spend my time reading something I can't even estimate later," she said a bit standoffishly, suppressing a smile.

The boys eyes widened with the realization and all of the other groupmates also gasped from another surprise, uttering a cheerful: "Thank you, Erza-sensei!"

"Get out of here," she smiled at them returning to her seat. "But trust me you will have a real quiz if you misbehave like that again. Understood?"

"Aye, sir!" they said with wide grins. Strict or not, bossy or not, harsh or not, this was their Erza-sensei, the one they got to love for what she is.

Content with her little trick having worked like a charm, Erza packed her things and thought she should wait for Dragneel to check if the students behaved, though from experience she could tell that he was not turning them in even if they were. So she figured she could ask the students themselves later. This time they won't lie because they know she can be following them. Erza chuckled to that thought, but then turned sad. She was thinking of Gerard again… So with a melancholic smile she decided to go to the library. She had to check something there.

Natsu was nervously fumbling with his tie as he watched the door of the room open and his group come in. Though from the first sight he could tell that something was different this time…

"Good afternoon, Dragneel-san," a girl said politely.

"Good afternoon…" he muttered in return.

"Hello, Dragneel-sensei," the guy with makeup said throwing his hand up in a greeting gesture.

"Hi, there…" the pink-haired history teacher said a bit cautiously.

It continued like that for a while, until everyone was present as always and occupied their places. But Natsu was worried something just wasn't right… Maybe they were planning some mischief? He wouldn't be surprised. But he wasn't that easy himself! Today he had a whole folder of different tables, all the dates were put in chronological order and all the names and definitions highlighted. He did his homework. While preparing for this particular class Natsu remembered the time he and Gray had their teaching practice while being graduates. They still had some gaps to fill with their knowledge so they read a lot of books, used different sources and tried to find their own way of explaining things, though of course they were mostly imitating their favourite teachers. Experience came with time. But today he felt he was twenty again, so uncertain and excited.

"Ok…" he muttered cautiously as the class started, "Today we will continue with our previous topic – The Wars…" suddenly he saw a raised hand from the back. "Yes?"

"May I ask, Dragneel-san?" a green-haired girl asked in a trembling voice.

"Sure," the teacher nodded with a smile.

"Well… on the previous lecture you enumerated the commanders and leaders of both red and white roses and well there was one name that we have already come across…"

"And that is?"

"Richard III. Shakespeare wrote about him, and… is it true? What the chronicle says?"

A sparkle flashed in Natsu's eyes. Oh yes, he read Shakespeare. And oh, yes he could tell a lot about Richard III. The man smiled, put all his notes, folders, books back in his bag and started the lecture with the words:

"A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!"

"Someone took it?" Erza asked surprised eyeing the librarian with a puzzled look. "Could you check again?" she urged while the elderly woman just sighed.

"Yes, a man called Natsu Dragneel took the book you request two days ago…" she answered wearily.

"Dragneel?" Erza gasped. _'Of all the people…' _she wondered, while the librarian just nodded. "Thank you…" the scarlet-haired beauty uttered and turned to leave. _'Strange… why would he need that book? He said he'll take Gerard's and that's more than enough… But he took that book! The very book where I left a message for Gerard once… when I still wasn't brave enough to tell him that I like him,' _she smiled. _'Maybe I should ask for it? It's the kind of pleasant memory I need right now…' _she shook her head. _'No. he probably needs it. I'll just wait till he returns it.'_

While Erza was in a rather dreamily-melancholic mood, Natsu was having it a lot more fun this time. The class lasted like in Kofuku this time! The students with the questions, comparing literature with facts, asking to tell them more, feeling at ease. And applauding to him at the end of the lecture, which in temporal means was just right at the beginning of the next class. So the students rushed like flashes waving their goodbyes. And Natsu was more than glad about all of this. He never noticed Vidaldus smiling in the doorway and clapping too, when everyone was already away.

"Oh, hey!" Natsu greeted his colleague.

"That was quite an impressive and passionate lecture!" the man said genuinely.

"He-he, thanks! The kids got me surprised this time. They were somehow very active today…" the other teacher answered grinning.

"Well they had class with Erza-san, before yours."

"Erza?" Natsu said but then bit his tongue and added: "-san?"

Vidaldus nodded. "She can beat some sense into these stupid heads. Especially that of my nephew," he sighed.

"Nephew?" Natsu stared at him wide-eyed.

Vidaldus only raised an eyebrow: "You didn't know? Midnight. He's my sister's little brat. Can be a real pain in the ass at times…"

"And you mean to say that Erza…-san…"

"She's like that," Vidaldus just shrugged.

Without saying another word Natsu grabbed his things and rushed out of the room, leaving another puzzled history teacher behind. He had to find her. He had to ask her. And if Vidaldus was right he had to thank her. She had class before him, so maybe she still didn't leave. He really hoped that some other business would keep her at the University longer today as usual. Running down the steps he caught a glimpse of red and fastened his speed.

"Erza!" he shouted but she was too far away. "Erza!" and again she didn't hear him.

He could see her opening the front door of the main University building and walking outside into the warmth of the setting sun.

"Wait!" he almost gasped and almost fell down while running. But running outside he saw her open the door of a cab. All he could see was her hair and her back. Then she disappeared.

He stood panting. Watching her drive away. Alone. She was mostly alone. And that thought brought that damned citation back to his mind: _**"Sometimes we put up walls not to keep people out but to see who cares enough to break them down."**_

**Hey, guys, sorry it took me so long, and sorry that it'll take me even longer from now on. I've decided to go on a temporary/permanent hiatus. This means the following: I'll finish this story in some months, but it's quite doubtful whether I will publish anything else. I'm… low on ideas and whatnot. Plus, I feel like writing authentic stuff now :3 Still I'm an open beta and I'll be reviewing as usual)) so not much changes! Love you all! Take care! =)**


	6. Chapter 5: University Gossip

**Chapter 5: University Gossip**

"You seem to be never parting with that new cell phone of yours," Gray Fullbuster said, sitting beside a certain blue-haired man on the grass near the football field. It was lunch time and in the past weeks Gray found out that this new Gerard guy liked to eat outside too like him, and so they started chatting from time to time none minding the other's company.

"Hey, Gray," Gerard greeted his new friend. "You're late today…"

"Well, there's this girl… She kind of…" Gray stuttered and blushed. "Never mind."

"Aa. Love," Gerard nodded knowingly, but somehow with no smile on his face as usual.

"She didn't call?" Gray asked concerned, meaning Erza.

"She did."

"Everything ok with her?" interrogation went on.

Gerard just nodded. No change of facial expression.

"Everything okay with YOU?" Gray asked annoyed raising his voice at the last word.

"This Dragneel… Is he a womanizer?" Gerard asked out of the blue making Gray choke on his ice-tea.

"Where the hell did that come from?" the brunette yelled. "Natsu's not like that! He's a loyal guy."

"Oh? So he has a girlfriend here?"

"He had one… They broke up recently," Gray said in a low voice. "She's with the Loke guy right now. Seems happy…"

"And there's no better way to mend a broken heart than a new love, right?" Gerard asked sarcastically.

"I don't like what you're implying," Gray frowned. "Didn't you say he wasn't living in your guest room anymore?"

"He isn't," Gerard nodded. "But that's just it. Erza… she seems different since he left. Ouch! What was that for?" the blue-haired man yelled having earned a smack on the head from his new friend.

"She's different since **you** left, you moron!" the brunette chuckled. "Stop sulking already. You trust her?"

"I do," Gerard said. _'It's him I don't trust…'_ he thought.

"And I know Natsu," Gray reassured his acquaintance. "He won't try anything with an already taken woman. I'm sure you're just imagining things, and there's definitely nothing, I tell you **nothing** going on between them!"

"I think there's something going on between them…" Ultear said to Ikaruga while sipping coffee with a sly expression on her face, in the teachers' cafeteria.

"Between who and who?" the pink-haired literature teacher asked with interest.

"The catfaced secretary of ours and the math geek Wally."

Ikaruga just chuckled to that. "Oh, dear, and you noticed just now?" she almost spat. "They're like in love with each other since the first day Erza brought her to work here. Didn't you see how the guy was looking at her? I mean come on, Ultear, you're one smart woman, no?"

The brunette frowned. "I got better things to do than spy on some uninteresting people. I noticed it just now, cause they both walked into the room together and the girl obviously blushes, while Wally seems to be telling her some casual stuff," the Latin teacher huffed, motioning for her friend to look in the direction of the entrance, where the couple was standing as if deciding whether they should eat here or not.

The conversation of the two friends was overheard by another teacher. The one that was used to spying on others and writing notes all the time…

"Pardon my interruption, ladies," Hibiki said with a smile, turning around on his chair so that the three could see each other, "but I think your eyes are turned into the wrong direction," the handsome man said with a smug knowing smile and waited for the surprise to reflect on the women's faces. Within seconds it did.

"What do you mean?" Ikaruga asked annoyed, but intrigued at the same time.

Hibiki just smiled again and let his eyes wonder to the farthest table in the cafeteria with Ultear and Ikaruga following his gaze.

"And?" Ultear asked annoyed. "So it's Erza. Eating alone as usual since Gerard's not here. With her laptop. How can she even do several things at a time…" but Ikaruga motioned for her friend to be quiet with wide eyes turned into the same direction still but a bit to the left.

"So now you've noticed?" Hibiki asked with a smile and turned around to sip his tea once more.

"Notice what?" Ultear frowned.

"Look to the left of Erza's table," Ikaruga whispered.

"It's the new teacher, the one that's substituting Gerard, so?"

Ikaruga could really facepalm right now. "Look closer," she urged.

Ultear did just that, and now it was her time to open her eyes like for real. Natsu Dragneel was sitting alone at a table close to Erza's. A lot of young female teachers were throwing glances at him dreamily or whispering something to their friends and giggling about it, with gestures implying he was a hot one. But the pink-haired history teacher never seemed to mind that. He was drinking either tea or coffee from that distance Ultear couldn't tell and pretending to be making some notes, while in reality… he was stealing glances at Erza Scarlet! And the brunette almost gasped at that! The pink-haired man was lowering his head to the notebook and then raising it again to look at the woman who wasn't even noticing him, since she was sitting with her back turned to him.

"See, ladies," Hibiki started knowingly, "it's not the obvious ones who should be watched curiously. Milly and Wally are of no interest to me. Their body language tells me everything I want to know and note. But these two…" he shot Natsu and Erza a cunning look.

"What do you mean 'two'?" Ikaruga asked disapprovingly. "Even if he stares at her it doesn't mean anything. Erza is living with Gerard everyone at the University knows that. I bet Dragneel is aware of that too. There is no way in hell she'll answer to his moves, if he ever dares to try anything," the lady concluded with a frown.

Ultear nodded to that one too. "True. Erza is not like that. A lot of men stare at her when she's not watching that's why she's never aware of the attention. So why should Dragneel be any different?"

The exchange was interrupted, when everyone's heads turned in the direction of a certain pink-haired history teacher standing up from his seat. The trio gossiping earlier went quiet, thinking that he was just going to leave for class, but the ladies gasped and Hibiki just chuckled when the said man approached the table where the fearsome Kanashimi's Devil was sitting and with a gesture asked to have a seat next to her.

"She'll chase him away," Ikaruga said.

"She'll tell him she's busy," Ultear nodded.

"We'll see…" Hibiki smirked.

"Erza-san… hi," Natsu began uncertainly still standing beside her table, while the woman raised an eyebrow at him.

"Dragneel-san? Good afternoon. I haven't seen you for the last week. Do sit down and tell me how you're doing," the woman suggested with a friendly smile and motioned for him to sit opposite herself, closing her laptop in the process.

Though they couldn't hear anything, the three teachers could still see everything perfectly.

"No way…" Ikaruga said wide-eyed.

"No way…" Ultear repeated flabbergasted.

"Way, ladies. Way," Hibiki nodded sipping his tea with the notebook in his hands already.

"So… tell me about your classes? The students behave I suppose?" Erza asked seriously.

"They do actually, and…" he looked at his feet as if shy of what he was going to say. The pose that made Erza raise an eyebrow at him. "I know why they started behaving," the man said looking seriously at the woman in front of him, which made the latter swallow uneasily.

"Really? I didn't know there were any…" – 'problems' she meant to say, but was cut short.

"Look, Erza-san, I know you helped me with them, don't deny it, ok? The thing is I've been meaning to thank you for the last week or so, but… you're always so busy I kind of never got the chance to find a way to talk with you. Until today I mean."

Erza smiled. "You're welcome," she uttered. "If you need anything just ask. I'm not rector's assistant for nothing. I may be busy, true, but I can always schedule you for later."

"But I didn't even say 'thank you' yet!" the pink-haired man protested and earned a confused look and then a chuckle from his interlocutor.

"So what's keeping you?"

"That's not the way I want to show my gratitude," Natsu said seriously and Erza didn't quite understand if it were his look or the depth of his voice that made her shudder.

"She… did she just tremble?" Ikaruga couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"And you want to do it, how exactly?" the red-haired woman asked composing herself.

"I want to take you out to dinner, Erza Scarlet-san," Natsu said seriously and rather loudly, so that the teachers at the nearby tables turned their heads in his direction earning a death glare from Erza and turning away quickly. "I know you have a boyfriend, and all that. It's not like a date or anything. It's just…" the man rushed into explaining things. "You're always so busy… Your job is stressful and I just wanted to show you my appreciation for your help by helping you to relax a little and forget about work," Natsu explained calming down a little.

"Was I hearing things or did he really ask Erza out? _The Erza_?" Ultear chocked on her coffee.

"She will turn him down. She has to turn him down…" Ikaruga said annoyed gripping her cup.

Hibiki didn't say anything. He just observed writing something down in his notebook, while Erza appeared to have taken out her one.

"13th of February? But it's the beginning of November now!" Natsu exclaimed wide-eyed, while Erza shrugged, closed her notebook and put it back in her bag.

"Take it or leave it, Dragneel," the woman said. "I'm not free until the 13th of February. If you want to take me out to dinner that's the only opportunity you'll have," she explained calmly, looking at the clock on the wall.

The hint that Natsu read easily. "I'll pick you up at 7pm on the 13th of February then," he announced hastily.

"Good, then," Erza smiled, took out her notebook, wrote something there and closed it again. "Natsu-san?"

"Yes?"

"I think you're five minutes late for your class…" Erza suggested pointing at the clock.

"Oh, damn!" the man cursed. "Sorry! I'll see you on the 13th of February then, Erza-san!" he yelled waving off, while the woman simply nodded.

"And now, ladies," Hibiki said smugly, "I want you to take a close look at our beloved Erza Scarlet."

And the ladies did just that.

"No way…" Ikaruga whispered.

"Oh my God…" was all Ultear could say.

"Exactly," Hibiki smiled.

What did they see you would ask? Well, nothing much, just Erza, Erza Scarlet watching Natsu leave the cafeteria with a dreamy smile and a bright glance.

**I dedicate this small chapter to Kuroyagi. I wrote it especially for him after reading that awful note about leaving us. Whatever goes through your mind or whatever bothers you, know that the guys here are all willing to help. If you let us. We're gonna miss you a lot if you leave for good, so… do consider it, ok? I won't say more. I'll just hope you'll return to… us, and your readers.**


	7. Chapter 6: Two to Tango

**Chapter 6: Two to Tango**

The telephone was ringing. It was ringing. Ringing. Ringing. Then stopped. The pink-haired man on the bed grunted and covered his head with the blanket. Today was a day-off for him, so why the hell would anyone try to wake him up at… The man grunted again. There was no way he was going to open his eyes to look at the clock. Plus, it was cold outside his warm hotel bed, so Natsu decided that whoever wanted death by waking him up that day was going to wait for some two-three more hours before getting it. So the pink-haired history teacher snuggled comfortably into the covers, and was about to continue his adventures in dreamland, when… The damn cell phone started ringing again.

'_Ignore it, Natsu,'_ he tried convincing himself. The thing is he couldn't switch it off, cause for that he had to open his eyes, and if he did that he would be wide awake and no more sleep for him. But the damn thing would never stop ringing and Natsu was surprised and unnerved as to the persistence of whoever was trying to reach him. _'Oh, whoever it is, you are sooo dead!'_ the man threatened in his mind, and reached for his cell phone.

"Hello," he grunted annoyed.

"Hey, man!" a familiar male voice said cheerfully from the other side of the line. "What's up? Long time didn't hear from you," Gray uttered energetically.

"Hey, popsicle. How's things?" Natsu uttered in a way better mood already. Whoever he was angry with, Gray was not one of the people on his black list.

"Going good. What about you?"

"Same here. Students are great. Rector's a nice guy. Other teachers don't bother me. Everything's fine. What about that Loxar girl?"

"Oh… Juvia…" from his friend's voice Natsu could hear that he was a bit shy and maybe even was blushing right that moment.

The pink-haired man sat up on his bed. "Juvia? Where the hell did that come from?" he shouted with a wide grin.

"Shut up, fire ass!" Gray sounded insulted. "She's a nice girl… Beautiful too."

"Oh, you're soo gonna get in jail!" the pink-haired man was not done with the teasing yet. "I mean how old is she? Seventeen?"

"She's turning eighteen next month…" the statement, plus the seriousness of his friend's voice just made Natsu give out a loud chuckle into the receiver.

"Oh, so you're the gentleman who's waiting till the lady turns of age? Smug move, Gray. High five me, man!" the pink-haired guy mocked again.

"Yeah-yeah, laugh all you can," Gray frowned. "What about yourself? Found a hot chick who can make you feel good?"

"Nah, I'm not too fond of poultry," the history teacher joked back and heard Gray start laughing on the other side of the line.

"Oh, come on, torch, you sound all happy and energetic lately, there must be some woman involved…" the brunette suggested with a smirk.

"Well, yeah…" Natsu doubted a bit, "…there is one. But she's just a friend, nothing more."

"You sound sad when you say that…" the math teacher mused aloud.

"I'm not! I'm not!" Natsu protested. "She's…" he gave a sad smile, one that even Gray could distinguish from the way he spoke, "…too good to be true."

"Oh, shit, Dragneel! You're in love!" his friend exclaimed.

Natsu just sighed. "Gray, I'm not."

"I don't believe you," he said disapprovingly. "Who is she? What is she like?"

"I won't tell you who she is. But she's smart, at times wise even, very friendly and always ready to give a friendly shoulder to lean on, she also gets my jokes and tolerates my teaching methods…" the pink-haired history teacher could have gone on and on enumerating the woman's virtues, but Gray cut him short. Apparently he was interested in something else.

"Yeah-yeah, friendly, smart, blah-blah-blah… What about looks? Is he as hot as Lucy?"

The mentioning of his former girlfriend stung Natsu's ears painfully and he fell silent for a moment. Not only because the memory was still very painful to him and the cut very deep, but because he started thinking… Was Erza as hot as Lucy?

"Oh, shit… Sorry man, I didn't mean to bring her up in this conversation, it just slip…" the man meant to say 'slipped my tongue' and hoped for Natsu not to hang up on him at least, but somehow, he heard something he never expected to hear.

Natsu was chuckling. Gray's eyes grew wide.

"I don't know…" the pink-haired man mused aloud. "I never thought of her that way… But I guess Lucy would come second to her in looks."

"This woman really got to you, huh?" Gray started sounding concerned.

Natsu just sighed. "She didn't. We're just friends. Besides, I've got to get ready for an appointment with…" Natsu considered the odds of telling the truth here: 1) Gray doesn't know that he's friends with Erza; 2) Gray hangs out with Gerard and it would sound suspicious if the latter found out he was taking his girlfriend out to dinner; 3) he didn't want Gray to jump to conclusions, so Natsu opted for the lie, or half truth at least: "…the rector's assistant."

"With Erza?" Gray asked and Natsu growled. Hanging out with Gerard was beneficial for the popsicle friend of his.

"Yes. With her. Just don't tell Gerard, ok?"

"What do you mean don't tell Gerard? He's her boyfriend! He should know…" Gray started casually and Natsu really should've just bit his tongue, but in reality he said:

"It's not a date…"

That phrase, that tone, that shaky voice… Oh, Gray heard that one before alright… With a certain blonde busty girl…

"Natsu…" the brunette said in a serious voice, "She has a man."

"I know," the pink-haired man tried to save the situation. "I told you I have no plans for her. She's just a friend," he blurted out without thinking again.

'_Shit…'_ Natsu thought. _'There I busted myself…'_

"Torch," pause, a very _very_ _**very**_ long pause, "the friend you were talking about earlier… is Erza, right?"

"It doesn't matter," Natsu said in a serious voice himself, "It's not a date."

"Then why are you nervous as if it were a date?" the popsicle was not giving up.

"Because she's the rector's assistant!"

"Then why did you ask her out?"

"She helped me a lot."

"You could've said thank you."

"I did."

"Then why…?" but Natsu didn't let his friend finish the question.

"Because it's not enough!" he stated almost shouting and panting as if he ran a marathon just now.

Gray on the other hand and on the other side of the line fell silent. Natsu thought that he could even hear the sound of a fly in his friend's living-room. The pause extended itself to no end and all Natsu wanted was to end this annoying conversation, and save himself from further embarrassment.

"I'm sorry…" the man whispered into the receiver. "Just… don't tell him."

"I won't," and Natsu could almost see Gray nod.

Another long pause followed, but this time the pink-haired man knew that it was up to Gray to speak his mind, so he decided to give him time.

"Natsu?" the brunette uttered seriously.

"Yeah."

"Be careful. If she's like Lucy…" the mentioning of that name in one context with Erza was enough to make the history teacher angry as hell.

"Ok, I gotta go, or I'll be late. Say 'hi' to Princess fangirl," and with that he hung up.

"The name's Juvia, you moron!" Gray yelled into the receiver. "Natsu! Natsu! Damn…" the man cursed while hearing short beeps in his cell phone.

Natsu sighed. He wasn't late. It was just 10am in Kanashimi.

Erza Scarlet was washing her hair and thinking. Shower was the best place for her to clean and clear her head. Always. Hot water did well to her body, relaxing it, allowing her to forget about it and think. And the subject of her thought was…

'_I wonder if Dragneel remembers about our appointment… He seems quite reliable and not too forgetful. But what if I end up waiting and he'll not show up. I've been so busy lately, we spoke rarely, but when we did… I wish time would stop,'_ Erza closed her eyes with a sigh. _'He'll leave in some two months and I never even got to know him well enough to call him a friend. But should I even start now? This little trick of mine…'_ she smiled, _'I had a free day the next week he offered to take me out. But I wanted to test him. Will he agree or give up. He agreed…'_ gently massaging shampoo into her scalp, the red-haired Devil remembered the events of the previous three months after their talk.

_**November**_. She saw him three times. Yes, she counted. No it is not strange, cause who can possibly forget meeting a pink-haired guy. Once she was carrying a lot of stuff and he helped her out, though she protested. The second time he caught her checking on the way his students behaved and reminded her of the appointment, making her suppress a blush. And third time… Erza was leaving the University. It was raining heavily and she took her usual red umbrella, opening it while waiting for the cab. Turning to the left she caught a glimpse of pink, and wanted to say hi, but Natsu strolled away too quickly for the woman's liking, so she decided to follow him. What she saw… she later regretted. With a calm face and a sad tired smile Natsu Dragneel was standing in the rain with his face up meeting the heavy drops. He was very still, which made Erza shiver, not only from cold. Within minutes he gave out a brief laugh and walked off to the hotel, most likely, Erza didn't check that of course. But the sight of him there… gave her a question to ask him.

_**December**_. He saw her every day, but she didn't see him. Running down the halls with her cell phone in hand typing messages to Gerard and smiling at whatever he sent her. It was ok, Natsu liked to see her smile, though he still did not admit that in a way he was stalking her, much like Juvia Loxar was stalking his friend. And Natsu would always roll eyes at how the popsicle would blurt out something about her without thinking first. Natsu really hoped his friend knew what he was doing. At times Natsu would see Erza alone in the cafeteria eyeing her cell phone with a sad expression on her face, deep in thought, fumbling with it, switching it off then on again. At moment like this one he wanted to approach her and talk to her, but Milly or Ikaruga would appear out of nowhere and sit at her table, forcing a fake smile out of the woman he… considered his dear friend.

Natsu's plan of talking with Erza kind of backfired on him, when she came to ask him something out of the blue…

'Natsu, a word,' she said seriously motioning for him to follow her into the corner.

'Something wrong?' he asked confused.

She nodded. 'I want to ask you something and I expect you to tell me the truth,' seriousness never faded.

It was Natsu's turn to nod now.

'Do you have a girlfriend in Kofuku?'

And he really didn't know what to say to that. Truth was the only possible option.

'No,' was the simple answer.

'But you are in love?' the red-haired woman suggested.

After some moments of consideration Natsu uttered: 'I was.'

'Oh, don't give me that!' Erza protested almost throwing her hands in the air. 'I see you being distracted and staring gloomily into the distance. Tell me what's wrong!'

'_Ha! You're one to talk!'_ Natsu though turning slightly annoyed at her pressure, but said only: 'Look, Erza, it's almost class…'

'What's wrong?' she repeated her question. 'Tell me. About her…' the woman asked with concern in her eyes, and Natsu couldn't resist that much, so in a nutshell he retold the story of his great love and great loss.

'I'm sorry…' was all she could say in the end.

'Hah,' Natsu laughed ironically. 'You wanted to know – there you have it. I didn't tell you because I wanted your pity. I told you… because you asked me to.'

Erza fell silent without knowing what to say or do, so Natsu saved the situation, in a way, saying good bye, reminding her of the 13th of February deal and leaving for class.

_**January**_. Gerard came back for holidays. Natsu went to Kofuku. What about Erza? She was overjoyed! She spent her every free minute with Gerard and enjoyed his company to the fullest. They laughed and joked and smiled and kissed, well, did everything a normal couple does. But then… she started having dreams. Dreams that made her freak out a lot. One moment she was kissing Gerard and the next she opened her eyes and saw Natsu smiling at her, holding her in his arms. It got worse when he texted her being drunk obviously, asking if she was ok, but missing half of the letters. Natsu called back the next day apologizing and Erza was gripping the cell phone so hard she thought her knuckles would turn white.

In two weeks Natsu was back. He started avoiding her, because of the message incident, and she started avoiding him because of her dreams. It went like that for the rest of the month. And now…

"I wonder if she'll remember…" Natsu thought aloud looking at his reflection in the mirror, fumbling with his tie. Somehow he grew to like formal suits; they made him look older and much more presentable, something of the gentleman in him that never died.

"I wonder if he'll come…" Erza though aloud loosening her usual tight knot of hair and letting it lay loosely on her shoulders in warm soft waves. "That's better…" she said with a smile, when the doorbell rang.

'_Good thing I didn't buy flowers. Cause it's not a date. It's not a date, It's not a… oh, sweet mother of God!'_

She opened the door and he saw her: a long red dress on straps, black high-heeled shoes, an elegant black necklace and hair loose on her shoulders. Natsu could only gape.

'Well a t least I know she didn't forget…'

"Hi, Natsu-san. You're punctual as always. Let me just get my fur coat and we can go," the woman suggested with eyes scanning her… date? No. No-no-no-no-no! It could never be a date! Anyway she liked what she saw: from the light brown trousers she could tell he was wearing a suit. Erza wondered if he was wearing a tie. She liked ties… a lot! The shoes and the jacket matched, so the woman was content with the way her… friend! Just a friend!... looked.

Both of them shared small talk during the ride to the restaurant, mostly because of the tension and nervousness. Erza was nervous because she told Gerard she will be busy all night checking theses and writing reviews, so he shouldn't call her or she won't make it in time. She still wondered why she lied. Natsu was just a friend, right?

'_Oh, sure he's a friend,'_ Erza's subconscious mocked her, _'the one that kisses you in your dreams. Not only on the mouth…' _the woman blushed and shook her head dismissing those kind of thoughts.

"Everything ok?" Natsu asked concerned.

"Oh… erm… yes-yes. I'm fine, thank you."

"Alright, if you say so," the man said with doubt, but decided not to push her. Maybe she had problems with Gerard. He really didn't want to talk about him today. "Ok, it seems we're here!" Natsu said joyfully as the cab pulled over. He then quickly got off the car, paid the driver and within seconds was opening the door for Erza with a starched out hand. "My lady," he said with a smile and Erza giggled herself, taking the offered hand and getting off the car herself. What she saw made her gasp.

"Natsu!" the shock made her forget about the suffix. "This is like the most expensive place in town! I don't think I can afford it… I mean had I known, I would've taken more money or my second credit card…" she started rambling, but Natsu cut her short chuckling.

"You talk too much," he said with a childish smile.

"Excuse me?" Erza raised an eyebrow at her companion ready to turn to anger mode anytime now, but Natsu only laughed again.

"I didn't mean it like that," he waved his hands in a defensive manner. "I mean I asked you out – I pay, and you enjoy yourself. It's my way of saying thank you," he smiled.

"Popcorn would have been enough," the woman pouted. She still felt uncomfortable with this situation, but Natsu knew how to ease the tension.

He approached her, looked at her form head to toe, leaned a bit closer and whispered: "And you mean to tell me you're all dressed up for having popcorn?"

"Natsu!" Erza gasped offended.

"Kidding! Just kidding! Just come inside already it's cold."

As reluctant as Erza was, she decided to play along. Like it or not, Gerard never took her to this very place, and she wanted to see if it was worth the rumours. Besides Natsu was fun and she could finally get to know him better, so that they could become real friends.

'_Or maybe something other than that…' _

"I'm gonna kill that annoying inner voice of mine someday," Erza hissed through gritted teeth.

"You were saying?"

"N-nothing… I was just talking to myself there," the woman smiled and shrugged earning the same response from her companion.

"Oh? You too? I do it all the time!" he rolled his eyes and they both shared a laugh. So much for the tension.

Several dishes and two bottles of dry red wine later, they were laughing and chatting, discussing serious matters and cracking jokes. Natsu could see that Erza was already tipsy – that peculiar glint in her eyes gave that away. He was a bit better, he reckoned and didn't want to drink anymore unless she suggested. What Natsu knew for sure, though, was that he was content. Erza was smiling the entire evening, never once frowning and his heart kind of melted at the fact that he made her happy… at least today. So he decided to use the chance of the last bold move. Dutch courage was speaking in him even if he was feeling alright.

"Where are you going?" Erza asked finishing her nth glass of wine.

"You'll see," Natsu winked at her and quickly strolled off.

Erza could see him approach the band, since the restaurant was also famous for its live music and whisper something to the pianist and giving him some money. The elder man smiled, nodded, while Natsu gave him a thumbs up with a wide grin and almost ran over back to Erza.

"What was that all about?" the woman asked half-seriously seeing that Natsu was not taking his seat but standing in front of her.

"Miss Erza Scarlet," he said in the gallant-gentleman mode, "Will you dance with me?"

"What?" she almost shouted. "Here?" Erza looked around.

Natsu just nodded.

"Natsu, I can't dance…" she lied, just so that he would give up on the idea.

"I'll teach you," he said with a joyful grin.

"Natsu, I don't want to…" she protested again.

"Come on, Erza," the man said grabbing her hand and dragging her onto the dance floor, "It'll be fun!"

"Natsu, I…" but she never had the time to say more, since two strong arms pressed her tightly to him, making her look straight into his eyes and her heartbeat quicken. Erza saw him smile dreamily at her and then give a nod to the band. And the band started playing… tango. And Erza's eyes grew wide.

Form the first chords she noticed Natsu take the lead and with time her body wanted to obey him, to let him hold her, spin her around, let her loose and then press her against him again. She wanted to look into his eyes, she enjoyed him looking at her lips and neck. Maybe it was the wine talking but Erza could bet he wanted to kiss her there.

'_Oh, you are such a liar…'_ Natsu though as he watched Erza dance in his arms, feeling the subtle curve of her waist, smelling her skin more than perfume, and feeling her legs rub lightly then aggressively against his legs. _'You dance better than anyone else…'_

Swaying in the passionate dance together the couple didn't even notice the envious glances of other couples in the restaurant. They didn't notice anything at all. For her it was only him. She was the only thing that existed for him. And as the last of the song died out, he held her leg up by the knee with his free hand on her back, while Erza instead of holding onto his shoulder, gripped his neck and stretched out her free hand in an elegant movement. She was panting and blushed. Her breasts were rising and falling and it took every drop of decency in Natsu not to look there. He was never loosing eye contact with her and that made their dance ever so intimate.

The moment was lost when the entire restaurant, band and chefs included, started applauding, making Erza remember that she was in public. The woman changed her facial expression from dizziness to awe and quickly broke free from Natsu embrace.

"Erza! Where are you…?"

"I need some fresh air! Be right back!" she shouted on her way to the verandah.

On reaching the place she was still panting, gripping her shoulders to stop the pleasurable shivers.

'_His hands… his eyes…'_

"Damn, Erza! Get a hold of yourself!" she hissed barely audible. "He's just a friend, right? Just a friend. Friends dance too. I danced with Wally at the New Year party! Right. Just friends," and she was almost calm, when her damn inner voice decided to throw her another piece of information to think about.

'_Did you feel like that when you danced with Wally? Does a friend look at you as if he wants to eat you?'_ and Erza was about to protest, when she felt something warm on her shoulders. It appeared to be her own fur coat.

"You're all heated up from the dance, you'll catch a cold if you stay here longer in your dress only…" Natsu whispered with concern.

"Oh… thanks…"

"What's wrong?" the man asked a bit saddened at her reaction. "You didn't like the dance?"

"I did!" she said a bit too quickly. _'Oh you can't even imagine how much I liked it…'_

"Erza," Natsu said seriously looking into the distance, "it's just a dinner and just a dance."

Something inside of her fell the moment she heard those words. He meant she shouldn't worry and he didn't see her like what she thought. As much as it was relieving as much it was heartbreaking to an extent.

"Come on, I'll drive you home," the man suggested, and she silently obeyed. There wasn't much to say really.

Natsu paid the bill and drove Erza home. It was late and he couldn't sleep in his hotel room. Twisting and turning, chasing away her hurt face. He should've said something different! The idiot he was… But he said what he said and maybe it was for the best. They are friends. They should stay that way.

Erza walked inside her apartment with a sad face. The way Natsu said those words made her eyes and nose itch and she couldn't quite understand why she was feeling that way. So chasing all the negative, Erza concentrated on the positive – he arranged a wonderful evening for her, how could she allow herself to get angry with him? So the woman calmed down, undressed, took a shower and went to bed, unaware of her body's rising temperature…


	8. Chapter 7: Valentine's Day

**Chapter 7: Valentine's Day**

"Ugh… I'm sick…" Erza grunted trying to sit up in her bed but failing. Her cheeks were flushed, her forehead was hot and she felt every muscle in her body ache. "I hate being sick!" the girl grunted covering her head with the blanket and taking her cell phone with her. She dialed the University and told Milly she was ill and wasn't coming to work today.

"It's not like you to be ill, Eru-chan," Milly said with compassion. "Please get better soon!"

"Yeah, I will," Erza replied and sneezed loudly into the receiver.

"Eru-chan!" Milly exclaimed with worry. "I'm coming over after work!"

"N-no, Milly, it's…a..aa…aaachooo! It's fine really. You probably had other plans, I mean it's Friday, and all that…"

"Well, it's not just that…" she faltered and blushed. "It's Valentine's Day today."

Erza gaped at the ceiling. "Really?" she said with no excitement but rather with a considerable lack of emotion.

"Uhuh. And Wally kind of asked me out… It's nothing special, I mean… I don't know, I…" the girl stuttered.

"Milly," Erza said as playfully as her sore throat could allow her, "you go get him, girl! It's about time he made a move at you!"

"E-E-Eru-chan!" Milly exclaimed embarrassed.

Erza chuckled silently to herself imagining her childhood friend blush and become as red as a beetroot, but then her laughter turned into a session of severe cough. "Oh, dear… Ok, I won't tease you anymore. Just tell Rob-sempai I'm not coming and say hello to Wally and the guys for me, Ok?"

"Sure thing, Eru-chan. Get better soon! Bye."

"Bye." And both of them hung up.

'_Valentine's, huh?'_ Erza thought putting the receiver on the bedside table, but unfortunately she couldn't go back to sleep, because the damn thing started ringing as if by magic.

"Oh, God… Who else?" but of course she already knew the answer.

"Hi, there, Sunshine! Happy Valentine's Day!" a familiar male voice spoke from the other side of the line somewhere in the ever sunny Kofuku.

"Hi, Honey… a-a-aachoo! Happy Valentine's Day to you too."

"Erza, you're ill?"

"Yup."

"But… but… you're never ill!" Gerard protested with concern in his voice.

"Yup, I've heard that one before," Erza rolled her eyes.

"I hope you're not going to work today?"

"Of course not," Erza assured her boyfriend. "I already called Milly and told that I'm not coming."

"That's a relief… Still… on Valentine's…"

"But you're not here anyway, so… Besides I'm not so fond of that holiday, anyway."

"Yes, I remember," Gerard chuckled. "That time a brought you flowers and you didn't even know what the occasion was. Yes?" he started speaking to someone else. "Right now? Oh… No-no, that's fine I'm coming," then returning to his girlfriend. "Erza, you still here?"

"Uh-huh. Someone's calling…" she reminded him more than stated to herself.

"Yeah… I've got to go, so… Are you going to be Ok?"

"Sure thing. Don't worry. I'll be fine," she reassured.

"Maybe Milly should…" Gerard suggested, but Erza already snatched the sentence from his mouth.

"She's coming over today, I already asked her," she lied without blinking.

"That's a relief! Have a good time then, and… I love you."

"I love you too." And with that they both hung up. "Love me. Right. So why do you say it only on some special occasions?" Erza snorted then sneezed then coughed then cursed and hid under the covers for the rest of the day. Or so she planned.

Natsu Dragneel had a hard day. Kanashimi University was covered with hearts, balloons, flowers, plushies and stuff like that. Entering the building Natsu felt he entered some weird fairy tale land. Everyone seemed so joyful so full of love and great expectations, it made Natsu feel sick. He spent his last Valentine's Day with Lucy among the fluffy fluffiness, the joyful joyfulness etc., etc. But today was different. Today he had no one to call, no one to greet, no one to say 'I love you' to. He received no calls, only Gray texted him with something that read: 'Happy Valentine's, Dude! Hope you hook up some hot chick! You need it! I'm going out with Princess Fangirl tonight. Yeah-yeah, I can get jailed, but hey! She's hot stuff!'

"Hot stuff…" Natsu grunted. Somehow he noticed that the students were extra-hyper today. Sure it was Valentine's but something just didn't seem right. Even when there was some sort of holiday or a day before the weekend, the students seemed quite calm, and well… a bit boring. But today was different. Something was missing…

"Hey, Alzack, why are you skipping class today? I know you had one more line," a green-haired girl scolded her brunette acquaintance.

"I'm not skipping, Bisca. Erza-sensei is ill and isn't coming today."

"Erza-san is ill? Well that doesn't seem like her…"

Natsu didn't really need to listen till the end of the conversation. He already got the picture. _Erza_ was missing. She was ill.

'_Oh, shit! It's because of last night! She said she was cold… Damn! I got her sick! I've got to make up to her for that!' _and that thought haunted him throughout his daily lecturing routine.

Several hours later he was standing at the door of her apartment with a whole sack of pills, fruits and a packet of green tea. He faltered before pressing the door bell, but then decided to go for it and did it. No reaction. He rang the doorbell again. Still nothing. He waited for another couple of minutes and then knocked.

"Hey, Erza, it's me, Natsu! I heard you fell ill, so I…" the pink-haired man never got the chance to finish his sentence, because the door swiftly flung open before him and in the doorway stood… what seemed to have been Erza Scarlet. She was wearing her warm peach pajamas with bunnies all over them, her hair was ruffled and stood on end, her eyes were a bit puffy from the too long sleep and she constantly sniffed her runny nose.

"I'm sick," Erza complained. And Natsu couldn't argue with that.

Several minutes later she was in the kitchen unpacking the bag of pills Natsu has brought her while he was gathering the scattered tissues all over the floor.

"Anti-diarrhea capsules?" she spat out laughing. "Seriously, Natsu?" the woman shot him a surprised look.

The man just shrugged: "How am I supposed to know what kind of complications that cold of yours might have… Besides with all the sweets you're eating I wouldn't be surprised if you had some stomach disorders," he continued in a lecturer-like tone.

"You've got some problems with sweets, Dragneel?" Erza glared at her guest.

"N-no, sir!" he replied instantly. Sick or not, this woman was not one to get relaxed with and spit out everything you think.

"Good," the woman nodded as she finished unpacking the bags.

Having gathered all the tissues and thrown them out in the trashcan Natsu eyed Erza's apartment with a critical eye. Sure the place was a mess which was too uncharacteristic of Erza as a host, but she was ill and that explained everything. Natsu guessed she just felt lazy, and having a high temperature won't really get you in the mood for cleaning or anything. But it wasn't just the mess. Something about her apartment was not what he had expected… Wait? Expected?

"Erza!" he shouted in disbelief and ran up to her in the kitchen.

"What is it?" she asked puzzled.

"Where are the flowers?" Natsu shouted in her face.

"W-What?" the woman almost chuckled and sneezed again.

"Bless you!" the man said automatically, "You know!" he went on rambling. "The flowers, the balloons, the plush hearts, the fluffy pink stuff…" he enumerated, while Erza simply raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, and? Why would I have all this?" she crossed her arms waiting for an answer, although she already knew what he was going to say.

"Because it's Valentine's!" Natsu said plainly. "Aren't you celebrating? I mean Gerard isn't here, but…"

The mentioning of her boyfriend's name triggered some deep unpleasant emotion inside the woman's heart and Erza flashed Natsu a death glare, cutting him short: "I hate Valentine's," she stated firmly.

This was something the man never expected to hear, so instead of asking 'why?' he just stood motionless gaping at Erza. _'This is weird… She of all the people should love the holiday… I mean she's got a great love life… Unlike me…'_ Natsu thought, but the course of his thought was interrupted by Erza yet again.

"Don't tell me you are one of those testosterone induced fools who think it's a good idea to make a simple sentence: 'I love you' a ritual with heart-shaped fluffy offerings," the woman spoke in her regular tone but with certain amounts of fury and indignation evident in her voice.

'_Testosterone__induced fools… and offerings?'_ Natsu sweatdropped. _'This woman really knows how to humiliate a man…' _giving it a thought Natsu answered. "You make it sound like a gloomy day," Erza huffed to that, "but you're right, Valentine's sucks!" Natsu concluded with a smile and now it was Erza's turn to get surprised.

"You don't like Valentine's Day too?" she questioned doubtfully.

"Not one bit," Natsu confessed. "It's a very depressing day if you're single…" he watched Erza raise an eyebrow at him again and he could tell what kind of continuation of his thought she expected to hear, so he decided he might as well play along: "And if you're not… it's not that great too," he shrugged. "I mean I don't need a special day to say 'I love you' to the person I do. Making it a cult is silly," Natsu tried to sound standoffish and play cool but in reality he was viewing Erza from the corner of his eyes while he said all this; and he certainly liked the way her facial expression changed from tense to a calm smiling one. Mentally Natsu gave out a sigh of relief.

"My point exactly!" the woman concluded. "Let's drink to that!" she said unexpectedly and stood on the tips of her toes to get a bottle of tequila from the top drawer of her cupboard.

"Wow. You drink hard," Natsu stated wide-eyed, but thought: _'Well that was unexpected!'_

"Psh," Erza snorted. "You should've seen me at the New Year's party last year," she raised her index finger with a smug smile. "There was this girl Cana – she used to be our chemistry teacher, but got fired a couple of month ago, because she taught students to make booze on practical classes – so there was this Cana and she really _really _could drink to no end! I decided to compete, but well… failed," Erza shrugged with a pout.

'_Erza Scarlet… drinks?'_ was all Natsu could think of staring at the scarlet-haired woman before him struggling with the cap of the bottle. "Hey, Erza you know you're ill and… well… maybe you shouldn't drink?" he suggested with concern.

"I need a drink…" she said quietly, and Natsu could hear she was upset with something. He thought that maybe the bastard Gerard didn't greet his awesome girlfriend, but then dismissed the thought; he seemed to be way too caring to forget something like that.

"Ok," he agreed. "But let's not overuse it, right?" the man suggested taking the bottle from her and opening it in an instant. "You're still ill, remember?" Natsu asked in a serious tone pouring the liquid into two offered glasses.

Several drinks later.

"Hahaha!" Erza burst out laughing sitting cross-legged on her bed with Natsu sitting on its edge. "Princess Fangirl? That's rich! I love it," her laughter subsided into a low chuckle, "who thought of that one?"

Natsu just pointed at himself "Your humble servant, who else?"

"Yeah, I should have guessed," the woman said taking another sip of her glass which has been already refilled three or four times.

She was tipsy and so was Natsu who at first protested to any refills, but then agreed to anything and seemed to be greatly enjoying himself. Erza's company was great! True she was strict, bossy and very self confident, but then again she was just and fair, always spoke her mind and was a really nice person! She was fun, and not boring like he expected her to be. And her laughter… well, it was… like honey. And Natsu loved honey.

'_Gerard… That lucky son of a bitch!'_ he thought with envy looking at the beauty on the bed in her weird pajamas. _'I bet even Gray would have choked on his own saliva if he had seen her,' _Natsu chuckled at that one and earned another small sweet smile in return from his host.

Erza was having a great time too. She rarely drank and when she did it was with people she either considered her friends or felt safe with, neither of which Natsu should be informed of in Erza's point of view. She almost felt like telling him why she hated Valentine's, almost… She still didn't trust him that much. But she trusted herself, right? It was all because of Gerard. He did exactly what Natsu said a man shouldn't: made a cult out of simple 'I love you'. Sure he constantly told her and proved with actions that he cared for her, cherished her, adored her… And that's exactly how he said it, for the three simple words were reserved for birthdays, Christmas, New Year and… Valentine's. Gerard obviously thought that it made the phrase special. Erza didn't. She wanted to hear it every morning. Every day. _'I would never get tired of it…'_ she thought looking into her half-empty glass…

Seeing Erza in thought Natsu decided to intrude but playing dumb for the moment, for he could guess who the woman was thinking of and didn't want to upset her even more, so he simply said: "Oi, Erza, spacing out there?"

"Huh?" she raised her head to meet his eyes. "Yeah, sorry-sorry…" she added with a smile and then raised her index finger again making Natsu think it was a sort of typical gesture. "I know! Let's listen to some music! But I get to pick, since I'm ill," Erza poked her tongue out and Natsu laughed again, while the girl was fumbling with some CDs she kept in one of the bedside tables. "Oh, no…" the woman said disappointed, "I forgot lending my 'Nirvana' CD to Ikaruga…"

"Nirvana?" Natsu gaped. "_The_ 'Nirvana'?"

"Yes," Erza said puzzled at his reaction.

"You like rock music?" the man seemed to become even more surprised.

"Yes," she nodded her head slowly again. "What's wrong with that?" she raised an eyebrow.

"This. Is. So. Cool!" the pink-haired man exclaimed jumping up from his seat and approaching Erza with sparkling eyes, which made the woman scoot closer to the bedside table and become quite nervous. "I am such a huge rock-fan! And I love 'Nirvana' too!" he rattled with excitement in her face, while Erza just started chuckling. "What?" he almost pouted.

"Wow-wow, there, cowboy," she teased. "You make it sound like a tongue twister! Speak slower, ok?" the woman suggested and Natsu rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile.

"He-he, sorry for that," he said, "I mean it's been months since I left Kofuku and I always go to concerts with my bud Gray at least once a month, so I kind of miss all that and I never heard anyone of the teacher staff at Kanashimi's University listening to such music."

"Ha! That's because you don't know them the way I do," Erza said with a knowing smile. "Like I said Ikaruga is a 'Nirvana' fan, while Vidaldus screams like a little girl when he hears 'Kiss'. But I know exactly what you mean," Erza nodded. "I used to go to concerts with Millianna, but she… well, she's got other things on her mind now," Erza winked at Natsu transmitting her implication.

"Whoa? Even Vidaldus?" Natsu gaped and Erza nodded. "What about Gerard?" Natsu asked before thinking and earned a sad look, which turned into an ironic smile. "I mean…" the man started seeking a way out of the depressing situation, but only made it worse, "he's got a tattoo on his face… I thought…"

"Gerard used to be a punk once," Erza confessed to save her guest's misery. "But he got in a serious fight once and well… got one man taken away by ambulance. After that he changed a lot and now… listens only to classical music," Erza finished her short story and to her enormous surprise Natsu… burst out laughing.

"You know, I know exactly what you mean! Lucy only liked pop! Imagine what I had to stand! Classical music doesn't stand a chance in comparison!"

"Phahaha!" now it was Erza's turn to laugh.

"Yeah! I mean it really drove me crazy!" the man laughed too and then all of a sudden fell dead silent, and noticing it, Erza stopped laughing too.

"Sorry… you really loved her, didn't you?" she asked quietly. "You still do?"

"I really don't know anymore… She was my everything," the pink-haired man confessed, "But then… She just hurt me a lot that's all…"

Uneasy silence occupied Erza's bedroom, Erza's apartment, Erza's entire space of thought._ 'This Lucy… I wonder what she looks like if she casted someone as fun and caring as Natsu away…' _Erza thought, but then decided it was up to her to get the situation under control and make it fun again. The good news was that Erza was pro in controlling anything especially awkward situations.

"C'mon let's dance to this one!" the woman said standing up and playing… "The band is called 'Electric Touch' and the song is – Don't Stop! I heard it on the radio recently," the woman explained as the tune started.

"Whoa?" Natsu gaped and then started laughing, "I thought you didn't like to dance," he said with a smile while Erza dragged him to the middle of the room.

"Not in public I don't," she poked her tongue out at him again, "Now come on!"

_The night I saw you on the dark dance floor  
>It was a picture that I can't ignore<br>I said, "I would die if I can't have you__"_

Jumping up and down, making the most awful moves – 80s style – and teasing each other Natsu recalled when the last time he laughed as much was. He sure did laugh a lot with Gray! The man was a party box! No need to go on about it. Then he remembered how it all began with Lucy… They also laughed a lot in the beginning, had much fun and stuff, but then… as months passed, they became more separated then close… It was all the difference in interests. She would write all day and he would hang out with Gray and in the evening they didn't even know what to talk about. They slowly became strangers, and while Natsu was in for a fight to save their relationship, Lucy decided it was a futile task. She just… left. And yet now he was here in Kanashimi…

_Beats pounded as we hit the floor  
>You liked girls but not anymore<br>You said you were star-crossed with no lover  
>Time stops when I breathe you in<br>My world shakes when I touch your skin  
>Because love is strange but you are stranger<em>

…dancing with Erza Scarlet, Kanashimi's Devil, in her weird pajamas with her ruffled hair and being tipsy from tequila. He smiled. The smile was wide, genuine, sincere!

Erza laughed herself singing along to the lyrics. She apparently knew them pretty well. Then suddenly she jumped onto the bed and took the TV remote pretending it to be a microphone. What Erza didn't notice, though, was that with all of that jumping she involuntarily threw her cell phone off the bedside table and it fell under it hitting the switch off button in the process. But Erza forgot about everything at that moment she just sang while Natsu clapped to the beat.

_No, no! Don't stop doing what you do to me  
>I need it<br>No, no! Don't stop doing what you do to me  
>Make it feel like I don't care what I do if I'm found<br>If I'm up and never come down  
>No, no! Don't stop doing what you do to me<br>Don't stop doing it to me_

_Oh no  
>You don't stop doing it to me<br>Oh no  
>You don't stop doing it to me<br>Woho, you had enough (You don't stop doing it to me)  
>Woho, you had enough<em>

The guitar solo followed and Natsu darted to Erza's kitchen and in an instant was back with… a broom! Erza burst out laughing watching as Natsu imitated playing a guitar. And so there they were: Erza with an imaginary microphone jumping on the bed, and Natsu with an imaginary guitar on the floor. This was really the perfect ending for any song, especially this one.

_No, no! Don't stop doing what you do to me  
>I need it<br>No, no! Don't stop doing what you do to me  
>Make it feel like I don't care what I do if I'm found<br>If I'm up and never come down  
>No, no! Don't stop doing what you do to me<br>Don't stop doing it to me_

As the last chords died out Natsu jumped onto Erza's bed himself and announced: "Thank you, Kanashimi! You are wonderful! This was 'Electric Touch' live with our new lead singer Erza Scarlet!"

"And our brand new guitarist – Natsu Dragneel!" Erza tried to make a good introductory movement, but slipped on the soft mattress of her bed and fell down taking Natsu with her along the way. They ended up lying together. Natsu atop Erza. None of them moved, and both were shocked. Natsu didn't know what to do since Erza wasn't moving away. It was then that he felt the familiar butterflies flutter chaotically in his stomach. _'If you only knew how I want to kiss you right now, you would probably kill me…'_ the man thought and when Erza started laughing all of a sudden he was petrified that he had said it out loud. But what the scarlet-haired beauty said next made him give out a sigh of relief.

"You know that Lucy chick has missed a pretty darned super-male!"

For a moment Natsu just stared at Erza wide-eyed, and the woman couldn't understand why he was looking at her that way instead of laughing along.

"You swear!" Natsu muttered, and then finally started chuckling: "That's so funny!"

"Really?" Erza raised an eyebrow.

"Yup," Natsu nodded with a smile.

"Then I won't do it anymore," the woman pouted turning away from the man who was still lying on top of her.

"Why?" Natsu immediately protested sitting up much to Erza's displeasure. "I love it!"

"Really, now?" the woman asked smugly, "Then bring me some freaking hot chocolate!"

"Aye, sir!" the man chirped jumping off the bed and rushing to the kitchen.

'_Oh, God, Erza! What are you allowing him to do?'_ the scarlet-haired beauty asked herself with her hand on her forehead. _'If I hadn't said something right now, then he would've…'_ she gasped for air, while her heart was doing its pounding at an impossible speed. _'And the worst part is…'_

"Erza! Three or four lumps of sugar?"

"Three is fine!" the woman shouted back regaining her composure, and then whispered to the empty room: "I wouldn't stop him, would I?"

Several minutes later they were both drinking hot chocolate with the almost empty tequila bottle returned to its original storing place. Both were a bit tired from the dance and the constant laughing so a pause was more than required. It was turning dark outside. The windows in the opposite building were flashing with yellow light. Natsu sipped his hot chocolate as slowly as he could. For he knew… it was time for him to go back to the hotel. To say he didn't want to return there was to say nothing! This day… this stupid Valentine's Day turned out to be one of the best in his life and as much as he wanted Erza to get some rest and feel better, he still didn't want it to end. But he was just out of options of how to stay…

"So…" Erza suggested sipping the remains of her hot chocolate, "would you like to watch a movie or something?"

At that moment Natsu really wondered if the woman could read thoughts. And even if the answer was 'yes' he couldn't be more grateful to fate for that.

"Sure," he answered quietly. "What are we watching? A romantic comedy or…"

"Psh," Erza snorted, "Seriously Dragneel you seem to have a short memory. I thought I told you I hate Valentine's, so I'm not going to watch topical movies today," she said. "I've got something more interesting," and with that the woman took out a horror movie DVD. "Jennifer's Body!"

If you think that watching a horror movie means being constantly tense and ready to close your eyes anytime means that you never watched a horror movie with a close friend or a beloved being a bit… well, let's call it 'liquor-stricken'. Natsu and Erza laughed most of the time and made fun of different characters and their words or actions.

"Hahaha. I'm crossing you out. That's a good one," Natsu said and when he heard no response turned to Erza who was lying on the bed atop the covers right next to him. "Oi, Erza, did you…?" the man cut himself short seeing that the woman has peacefully fallen asleep. Her lips were slightly parted as she sucked air in with her mouth helping her half-blocked nose. This was the cutest sight he has ever seen. "Good night then, Erza," he whispered turning the TV off with the remote. When Natsu tried to stand up and go to 'his' used-to-be room, Erza turned to her side and dropped her hand on his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. Natsu stiffened. She smelled of liquor and sweets, and shampoo… cherry shampoo most likely. He could smell her and it was fabulous. _'Even if she kills me in the morning…' _the man thought and shifted comfortably on the bed. He was still wearing his usual clothes, surely he wouldn't go to find something to change into, but he didn't mind it one bit. He just smiled and closed his eyes as Valentine's Day slowly reached its temporal end.

Opening his eyes at the crack of dawn he already knows. He looks at the beautiful face of his host and knows.

"Erza? Erza?" he calls out silently to her, but she only mumbles something evidently still asleep. Leaning closer to her and noticing to his pleasure and surprise that both of them never changed their sleeping positions, Natsu smiled and patted the wonderful scarlet hair of the woman on his shoulder. "Erza, I think I love you…" he whispered barely audible and kissed her forehead. The sun was trying to break through the curtains and Natsu knew that his own private fairy tale was about to end. Still there was one more thing he decided to do today. So as much as he hated doing it, Natsu carefully made his way off Erza's bed, sending her another grateful smile along the way.

Waking up Erza felt a lot better than yesterday. Somehow she found herself on top of the covers and not under them and that seemed odd. Opening her eyes the woman recalled what had happened last night and couldn't suppress a chuckle. _'That Natsu…'_ Speaking of which.

"Natsu?" she called out silently. "Natsu, are you still here?" but as no answer came the woman was rather disappointed that the history teacher took his leave so early. Still she knew he probably had to prepare for Monday classes today whereas Erza could enjoy the weekend to the fullest, since she was probably still going to be home on Monday. The woman stood up lazily and went to the bathroom. Passing the kitchen by, she saw a glimpse of red and noticed that the mess from yesterday's improvised 'party' has been thoroughly cleaned up. And Erza was grateful for the thoughtfulness of her new friend. Still this glimpse of red troubled her and opening the kitchen door Erza saw a small but beautiful bouquet of red roses on the counter. She would've gotten pissed and annoyed because of the Valentine's resemblance and all that, but she noticed a small note beside the flowers and stopped her oncoming fury from building up, since the note read: 'You may get pissed at me for what I say and treat me as a traitor, but I think… I'm gonna start loving Valentine's! And it's all thanks to you, Erza!'

The scarlet-haired woman blushed and smiled. She sniffed the flowers and put them into a vase. She received the offering… but wondered whether the flowers were the only thing her new acquaintance had to offer? Tilting her head back Erza Scarlet played back the events of yesterday's Valentine's Day with a smile rather than a frown or lack of emotion for the first time in her life.

**There you go)) A little extra from me, no? Something to make up for my long absence =) Anyway three more chapters to go people, as you can see things will get a little more interesting from here ;) Next chapter is called "Too Lost in You"! Hope you enjoyed the read :3 Sorry, if you didn't T_T**


	9. Chapter 8: Too Lost in You

**Hi, guys)) Ok, I know I seldom put in a foreword, but it has to be done this time. The chapter has some slight adult content; though I tried to present it as subtle and at the same time as imagination-boosting XD as I could. So… you have been warned, my conscience is clear =) Have a nice read, and I hope you'll enjoy the chapter =) Two more to go! Yay :3**

**Chapter 8: Too Lost in You**

Natsu was walking… no, wait… he was almost hopping along the sunny road. There were no clouds and the sky was clear, the sun was shining brightly, though, it didn't give its warmth and the slight wind only added to the general chill. But Natsu paid no attention to it whatsoever. He was… content. The events of last night played in his mind over and over again, especially the part when he had pinned Erza to the bed. Well, not that he pinned her, actually, for he was leaning on his elbows in order not to crush her, but what the hell! He'd like to think he did pin her! Looking at her flushed face with surprise in her mesmerizing brown orbs was one of the most exciting things he had experienced in Kanashimi so far. Besides this was already the second time Natsu could boast of having such a dangerous proximity with the scarlet-haired woman. He chuckled to himself humming the tune of 'Dirty Little Secret' along the way to Kanashimi's University. Erza was quite wrong in her guesses, for Natsu didn't go to the hotel to prepare to Monday lines. He had one more special class on Saturday, for those keen on history. And he wanted to be there today changing the topic of today's class right on the spot! He would talk about something really important today… He would talk about overcoming obstacles and conquering! And there was just one obstacle in Natsu's way of conquering Erza Scarlet. And that was…

"Gerard?" Erza exclaimed into the receiver. "Why are you calling on a stationary phone? It must cost a fortune!"

"Well, I would've called you on your cell phone," the man confessed with hurt in his voice, "but it has been switched off since yesterdays evening…"

"Really?" the woman asked in awe.

"Really. What's wrong, Erza! I've been worried as hell!" he yelled. "You lied to me…" the man whispered with hurt in his voice and Erza almost dropped the receiver. Her heart started beating fast and she was at a loss of words.

'_Oh my God! He knows! He knows!'_ her consciousness screamed, but then the rational part of her mind took control just in time before she blurted out something very stupid. _'Wait a second! He can't know. How would he know? But lied… about what then?'_

"Gerard, I don't know what…" she played dumb, but her boyfriend was not buying it.

"I called Milly."

'_Oh, shit…'_

"She told me you never asked her to come over," he uttered quietly.

'_I'm gonna kill her.'_

"Why would you switch off your phone without even telling me? I called you like a hundred times!"

'_Talk! Talk! Think, Erza, you've got to say something.'_

"I just fell asleep, honey. I'm sorry I made you worry that much! But really… I knew you were going to be worried, so I lied about inviting Milly, but… she had a date with Wally you know. I didn't want to ruin the evening for her just because I was ill…" the woman started talking in a subtle guilty voice. "Besides, Valentine's means a lot more to her than it does to me, so…"

"You could have told me that," Gerard said sternly.

Erza rolled her eyes, already a lot calmer at the subtle change for the better in the man's voice and took a cupcake in her mouth. "You would just call Rob-sempai, or Vidaldus and asked them to come over and check on me."

"Sure I would have done that. You're my girl and I can't take care of you when you're ill…" now she could hear guilt in his voice already.

Erza smiled. "You know I can take care of myself pretty well," she paused and looked at the roses dreamily. "Besides…"

'…_someone already took care of me yesterday…'_

"…I didn't want to see anyone apart from you, and you couldn't be here, that's why I just fell asleep after taking some pills and shut off the phone, so that no one else bothers me. I was meaning to call you, but I just lost track of time I guess…" Erza concluded with a smile, licking the remains of the cupcake off her fingers. Oh, her lie was sooo believable, she almost believed it herself.

On the other side of the line a man gave out a heavy sigh. "What am I gonna do with you?"

Erza chuckled. "Love me. There's not much else you can do."

Hearing Gerard chuckle to that one as well, Erza gave out a mental sigh of relief. She was saved this time. But what lie can she think of if the situation repeats itself?

"Wow, Natsu-sensei, your stories are sooo awesome!" Midnight announced standing up at the end of the class.

"So you really think every war started because of a woman?" Cobra asked skeptically.

This made Natsu raise his index finger. "Not all wars. But the significant ones – yes. Everyone thinks men fight for money or power, but in reality they fight for one single woman that took their heart. Because if he is a King, he can make her his Queen; if he is rich he can shower her with presents and give her everything she wants. It's always the woman that drives a man to do crazy things that lead him to greatness he had never dreamed of achieving."

The students fell silent and then gave out an "Oh…", while Natsu winked at them and announced the end of the class. He still wanted to do a lot of things today. Number one was visit Erza and see if she's ok. Number two was talk to Erza about something trivial like yesterday. Number three was to cook something for her. Number four… well, he could try to go with number four if he could gather some courage. Packing his bag, the history teacher never imagined that all his plans would go to waste as Milly walked into the classroom and said:

"Dragneel-san? Rob-sempai is calling you to his office." And the face of the secretary was dead serious.

While Milliana was walking Natsu to the rector's office, Erza was fumbling with her cell phone while sitting on the edge of her bed. She needed to think. Very hard. Gerard really did call her over a hundred times yesterday and that was a bit scary, but she wasn't holding her cell phone out of feeling guilty before her boyfriend, but because she expected a certain someone to give her a call. And understanding that made her frown.

"Ok, let's think about this," she said to herself in a serious voice. "I have a boyfriend, he has a broken heart. I am the rector's right hand, he is a teacher. I will stay here, he will leave in some time," she nodded to every statement, glancing at the multiple photos of her and Gerard. "I love Gerard," nod, "Gerard loves me," another nod. "So why am I even thinking of Dragneel?" the woman ruffled her hair annoyed and collapsed on the bed with a grunt.

"You wanted to see me, Rob-sempai?" Natsu asked cautiously opening the door to the rector's office.

The said man was sitting at his desk with his head on his clasped hands with a frown on his face. "Aa. Come in, Natsu, I need to have a word with you."

Having an uneasy feeling in his gut Natsu entered the room and closed the door behind him.

"Take a seat," Rob suggested, motioning to the chair in front of him, Natsu did as he was told. Somehow his uneasy feeling was growing larger by the second.

"Is this something concerning my method of teaching?" the pink-haired history teacher suggested, as there was a pause in the air between the two men. "I mean I know this University is quite conservative, but…"

"It has nothing to do with your teaching methods," the old man said quietly and Natsu bit his lip. "Let me tell you a story and hopefully you will make the right conclusions after hearing it."

Natsu nodded and Rob stood up from his chair to walk over to the window and bring himself to remember. Remember it all…

"Once upon a time there lived a boy and a girl. Their names are not important. They lived next door since they were kids and as their parents got along well the kids soon became friends. They played together and had lots of fun. She would protect him from bullies at times, because she was fierce and had a strong character, while he was more polite and never wanted to get into fights…"

'_The girl sounds like…'_

"…though he would always take bugs out of her hair, because she was scared of them. He would laugh at her childish fears and she would pout," Rob stopped for a moment with a smile on his old face. The smile that almost made him look young again. Almost. Then he went on. "Years flew by and the kids grew up. The boy started noticing the girl more and fell in love with her with time. She started feeling the same and they were a happy college couple. But then…" a pause, "…a new guy came to college and befriended the popular couple."

Another pause was hanging in the air, while Rob waited for the history teacher to connect the first dots. He eyed the pink-haired man cautiously, but sternly at the same time. He couldn't let Erza experience the same as Porlyusica did. He wouldn't allow it. He would protect her. From Natsu Dragneel. Seeing the said man frown at the hints of his story, Rob turned away to the window again and went on.

"The boyfriend had to leave on a student exchange program, but the newcomer stayed," Rob frowned. "The program lasted three months and each week her letters became shorter and arrived less frequently. The boyfriend got worried, but didn't let her know about it. How was he to know that her heart was not completely his already?" the elder man raised his index finger at the question.

It was Natsu's turn to frown now. "I don't know what you're getting at Rob-sempai, but I don't like…"

"I'm not dumb, Natsu," he cut the pink-haired man short. "But you should listen to the end, before saying something you will regret."

Natsu grunted but nodded.

"As I was saying, the girl fell in love with two men at the same time…"

"I couldn't have fallen in love with him too, could I?" Erza asked her reflection in the mirror. Sadly it gave no answer. The woman took her notebook again and eyed the table she conjured up some twenty minutes ago.

_**Gerard Natsu**_

loves me ?

love him ? (!)

serious funny

caring caring

friendly friendly

responsible responsible

conservative liberal

gloomy joyful

good kisser ?

great lover ?

Erza sighed. "There are just too many question marks with you, Dragneel…" the woman rubbed her eyelids. "Why am I even comparing you to him?" she whined and looked at her cell phone again. "Why aren't you calling?" she asked the device. Sadly it gave no answer.

"…she was stressed," Rob continued. "Tried to keep them both, and for some time it worked just fine," the man bit out with irony. "The newcomer knew the boyfriend and knew about their relationship, he just gave her freedom and time… Wise move," a pause. "The boyfriend on the other hand thought they were just friends, so it hit him hard on the head when on a usual walk in the park she took her hand away from his and fighting back tears told him she was in love with someone else."

"Erza is not in love with me!" Natsu hissed.

"I'm not finished yet, my boy," Rob uttered calmly.

"Whatever you say is not important cause she is not in love with me!" the man repeated, but apparently his words were left unheard.

"The boyfriend was crushed. The newcomer was happy. The girl… felt guilty. She chose him, the second option and it went well for a while. But then her conscience started eating at her, tearing pieces of her, till she became a mask of what she used to be…" Rob whispered and it was only then that the pink-haired man understood… he was talking about himself.

"You were the newcomer?" he asked.

"I was the boyfriend," was the answer.

"Oh…" was all Natsu could say.

"I wanted her to be happy, so I let her go. But as much as she wanted to be happy herself, she couldn't allow the feeling to overwhelm her, because of the guilt she was feeling."

"So I assume things didn't work out with her and that other man?" the younger man suggested.

"No, they didn't. She became a nun."

Natsu's eyes grew wide. For a few long minutes he was at a loss of what to say, just gaped at the man in front of him. Then as his eyes travelled across the room they landed on a photo of three young people, one of which really resembled Rob-sempai, and the other one resembled…

"Don't tell me 'the newcomer' was…"

"Aa," Rob nodded, "your new rector, Makarov."

"B-but… How can you? I mean after what he's done? How can you still be friends?" Natsu almost shouted in disbelief.

Rob sighed. "He lost her to her guilt, just like I lost her to him. Makes us even, in a way," the man shrugged. "We never got married. Neither of us. We had our times… Women got to us, yes. But none was even close to her. None could ever take her place."

Natsu frowned again. "Why are you telling me this…?" he asked rather rhetorically.

"Let her be, Natsu. Before it's too late stop pursuing her. Gerard is a nice guy, and trust me I'm not defending him because I was in his shoes once, no. I'm doing it for her. Erza… she's like a daughter to me. I don't want to see her like I saw my loved one. That's why I'm asking you – please, let her be…"

The last words of the old man echoed in Natsu's saddened mind as he wandered through the streets of Kanashimi. He had been walking for hours, looking under his feet and thinking, thinking, thinking… He wanted her. He did. In fact he admitted that he wanted her more than anything in his life. But he wanted her to be happy as well. Would she be happy with him? Will he be able to give her all the things she is used to be receiving? Will he be able to fight her guilt? Scales: one cup – his happiness, second cup – her happiness. The choice was obvious. Natsu was never known as selfish. So having made up his mind to avoid the scarlet-haired beauty for the rest of the term, Natsu Dragneel dragged his aching feet back to the hotel, only to see… none other than Erza Scarlet standing at its entrance with crossed arms and a frown. Natsu gulped. She was angry.

"Good thing I waited," the woman bit out, "I was about to head home."

"Why are you here?" oh, she was sooo complicating things for him.

"We need to talk."

"I'm tired and in no mood for talking," he would be harsh to her, so that she gets offended and leaves.

"That's a sudden change of mood, don't you think?" sarcasm again.

Natsu winced.

"Talk. Now."

"Maybe we go to my room at least?" the man suggested watching people stare at them.

Erza turned on her heels without waiting for any invitation and strolled upstairs with her host left behind a few steps. She stopped at his door and waited till he opened it. They walked in and hardly had Natsu locked the door, when Erza started talking.

"What's wrong?"

"Hah," Natsu gave a fake laugh. "Why do you think anything's wrong?"

"You're acting weird," she stated plainly.

"I think I am acting as usual, but you at my hotel? That's something new," anger was building up inside of him as well. Two could play this game. "Does Gerard know you're here?"

"This doesn't concern him. It concerns me and you. Don't bring him up," she ordered.

"But I want to bring him up and I will."

"You're being a jerk," no change of voice.

"But he sure isn't," Natsu spat. "So… why are you here again?" another rhetorical question for today.

"So that's it?" she whispered with hurt. "This is all you want to tell me?" she was giving him more chances than she usually gave anybody! Wasn't he noticing?

"I never claimed I had anything to tell you," he said with a stoic expression on his face thinking: _'Hate me! Hate me, please! It will hurt less that way…' _but uttering only: "Nice talking to you, Erza. Sorry you wasted your time," with that he opened the door waiting for her to leave.

She stood on the same spot for a couple of minutes without even blinking. But she wasn't leaving not because she was that much shocked or wanted to prove a point. She wasn't leaving, because she struggled to fight back her oncoming tears. His words hurt her that much. But she would not allow him the pleasure of seeing her cry. So she stood and waited for the hurt to subside, then took a step forward, then another one, and another. When Erza was already at the door, without looking at him, she uttered:

"Coward."

And something inside of him clicked. Natsu wasn't sure what it was, but the sudden outburst of emotion made him slam the door in her face, swirl her around with her back to the wooden surface and press his hands at both sides of her.

"What do you want me to say?" he half-shouted. "That I love you? That I'm mad about you? That I'd kiss the ground you walk on that much I adore you?" he breathed into her dumbstruck face. "Or do you want me to say that I'm jealous of him? That I try not to think of what you do when you're with him? That I would love to shoot him without even meeting him? Is that what you want me to say? Is that what you came here to talk about? Huh?"

She never uttered a word. Just stared at him with eyes wide as saucers, not minding the oncoming tears anymore. Not that she could control them now, anyway.

Without waiting for an answer Natsu looked Erza straight in the eyes, totally forgetting Rob's story, totally forgetting about Gerard, and totally neglecting the consequences, he said what he wanted to say so bad since this very morning:

"I love you."

Erza gasped, which gave Natsu the perfect opportunity to go with number four on his today's agenda – he leaned in and kissed her. Forcefully, passionately. But broke the kiss to see her reaction. He though she would slap him, but she didn't.

'_How dare he? How could he? I'm not single! Not single! I have to stop this… I have to stop __**him**__!'_

But instead of listening to her brain, Erza Scarlet let her heart lose. And the only thing it had to say was: "More…"

Nothing else needed to be said. Natsu leaned in again to kiss the woman he loved once more. Gently at first, deeper with every move of his lips and tongue. She responded almost immediately, parting her lips and kissing him back, sliding her fingers in his hair and pulling at it, as his hot kisses started making their way to her neck. Erza moaned with pleasure and that was invitation enough to make him continue, grabbing her by the hips so that she could wrap her legs around him, even in her usual black skirt. The desire surging inside Natsu was strong enough to make him throw her on the bed, but the pink-haired man though better of it. He craved too long for this moment (hell, he dreamt of having her like this ever since he saw her) to make it fly by fast. No, he would be slow. He would enjoy her. Every bit of her. So Natsu placed her on the bed gently, never stopping kissing her, she just tasted too good. Parting for a brief moment and gasping because of the mutual passion, Natsu looked into Erza's brown eyes and wanted to ask her if she was sure about this. But fearing a 'no', the man opened his mouth only to kiss her again.

Taking off her clothes. Touching her everywhere he wanted. Kissing her everywhere he could. Tracing idle lines with his fingers on her smooth skin. Finally connecting their bodies hungry for each other. – this was BLISS. Total bliss. No more, no less.

Licking his neck, biting his earlobe, clawing at his back, wrapping her legs around him, feeling every muscle of his body pressed to hers, moaning and screaming from pleasure… that was BLISS. Pure bliss. No more, no less.

Some two hours later after totally exhausting each other, Erza snuggled closer to Natsu and quickly fell asleep on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead and drifted into dreamland himself. But unlike Erza, who was having no dreams at all, Natsu kept seeing images of her aching, twisting and bending into almost impossible angles, with her hair falling in waves of lava on both sides of his face. Sweating and melting in his arms with her skin hot like fire.

Natsu woke up panting. For a moment he thought it had all been a dream. But turning to his side he saw the familiar red hair and the familiar soft back turned to him. Natsu smiled. Then grinned. Turned to lie on his back, closed his eyes and dug his fingers into his hair. She was his. Erza was his. Not fully believing his happiness Natsu turned to the naked woman beside him and hugged her from the back, burying his face in her hair.

"Mmm…" he moaned, "…cherries…"

And with that Natsu Dragneel drifted into a peaceful sleep this time, with no dreams at all.


	10. Chapter 9: Will You Marry Me?

**Chapter 9: Will You Marry Me?**

Gerard Fernandez woke up in cold sweat. He had the most terrible nightmare ever. He was in a cage with a fierce lion (1) that was roaring and showing its teeth while searching for a better stance to leap at the blue-haired victim. The animal was twice as big as Gerard and probably ten times stronger and faster (the dream being a nightmare Gerard was definitely put at a disadvantage here), which made the man gulp and slowly back away from it finding out that the cage had no exit. Somehow the lion had pink mane instead of the usual orange one, but then again anything is possible in a dream, especially… Erza! She was standing outside the cage with a solemn expression on her face (very uncharacteristic of her in this kind of situation). Her eyes were not directed at him, nor were they directed at the lion in the cage; she was looking at her outstretched hands with something glittering on each one. Taking a closer look Gerard could distinguish two identical silver rings on her left and right ring fingers (2). The woman was eyeing each of them taking turns, slowly sliding her gaze from one ring to the other one with the smallest of smiles gracing her face, making her look as beautiful as ever. While Gerard got distracted by the sight of his beloved, the lion got impatient and leapt at the blue-haired man with a deafening roar escaping his open mouth. The victim had no time to escape, only to turn to the side a bit, making the predator dig its teeth into the man's shoulder and knock him down on the floor. Gerard let out a loud scream and started pushing the animal away, opening its jaw with his bare hands, cutting them in the process against the lions teeth. The claws of its right paw dug into the man's chest and Gerard caught blood.

"Erza…" he breathed with pain, understanding that there was no way he would survive, but hoping that the lion will satisfy its hunger with him and leave Erza alone. But the sound of the woman's name made the animal loosen its grab a bit and look Gerard straight in the eyes. And its eyes were… "Green eyes…" Gerard whispered, "…pink mane…" his eyes widened and his voice turned to a shout while his hands clawed at the animals face. "You can't have her!" And Gerard's hands almost tore the lion's jaw open, making the animal cry out and back away, giving the blue-haired man the chance to stand up on shaky legs.

"You can't have her," Gerard threatened with rage in his eyes.

"Errrrrza…" the lion almost purred, "…is mine!" it finished with a roar and leapt on Gerard making him wake up.

Sitting up in his bed Gerard closed his eyes and rubbed his eyelids while steadying his breath. He couldn't remember much of the dream… just Erza with two rings and the lion defeating him. _'I'm having dreams of her more often… almost every night now. God, I miss her so much…' _the man looked at the clock on the bedside table. It showed 3am, which meant 5am in Kanashimi. Gerard sighed. _'It's too early to call her… I have to wait till at least 7am there, or maybe 8am. She is ill, maybe that's why I dream of her,'_ his eyes getting accustomed to the darkness of the room, Gerard let his gaze travel to the calendar he hung on the wall the very first day he came here and started crossing out days of his 'exchange trip'.

"Two weeks left…" the man announced to the empty room. "Can I really wait that long?" Gerard asked himself, and slowly laid his tired head back on the pillow. Turning to the side he looked at the little velvet box on the side table and smiled. Giving himself a mental promise to check up what the dream meant in the morning, the blue-haired man closed his eyes and tried to sleep again, thinking of the woman he loved so much.

**X-X-X-X**

"That would be…" the cashier announced the sum to the pink-haired customer eyeing him with curiosity. Not only the colour of the man's hair was peculiar, but also the fact that it was only 7am and the guy was carrying all sorts of bags with everything imaginable in them from fruit to balloons and the blonde lady didn't even imagine where would he put the dozen of roses he just ordered handing her his credit card. The woman hesitated. "Erm… where should I put these, sir?" she asked.

Natsu looked down at his occupied hands dumbly, then looked at the woman before in thought, and later just grinned like the most love-stricken idiot imaginable, and she could tell he was, because she had seen many like him and it always made her heart melt.

"I'll just carry them in my teeth!" he announced proudly, opening his mouth in anticipation, making the cashier giggle, but go with the customer's request.

"Khenk you," the man said with flowers in his mouth.

"You're welcome!" the woman answered with a smile and added. "That must be one lucky girl," she winked at Natsu.

The man stopped and shook his head surprising the blonde.

"Nah," he uttered. "I'm khe lukhy guy!" and winking back he left the flower shop.

**X-X-X-X**

Erza Scarlet slowly opened her eyes to the rays of the cold February sun shining through the open curtains. _'That was one dream I'm never sharing with anyone…'_ the woman thought stretching on the bed and feeling that something just wasn't right. Erza opened her eyes with a frown taking in the foreign surroundings. It took the woman about 5 seconds to blink several times and sit up on the bed with a squeal.

"Oh, my God!" she whispered with awe. "I didn't! Did I?" with trembling fingers the scarlet-haired beauty peeped under the blanket covering her. And, yes… she was naked as a jaybird. "Oh, crap…" Erza whined covering her face with her hands. Then the woman remembered something.

"Natsu?" she called out cautiously. "Natsu, are you there? Hello!" and as no answer came Erza decided to quickly get dressed and leave unnoticed. In other words, yes, she was going to make a run for it and hopefully never turn back.

"What the…?" the woman exclaimed flabbergasted as she gave her palm a closer look. "Oh, he has got to be kidding me!" Erza shouted rushing to the bathroom. Reaching it she eyed herself in the mirror and her jaw just dropped. The entire body of the scarlet-haired teacher was covered with 'I love you'-s written in black marker. Erza gritted her teeth and her fists clenched as the sign under her fringe read: 'When you're mad I love you more =P' This was not the final surprise of this morning, though (unfortunately for Erza), since she noticed a note written on sticky paper glued to the mirror. The note read:

"_The marker won't come off, unless you __rub it really hard__ with a sponge for at least 30 min. – just the time I need to be back before you try to ditch me =P_

_Natsu._

_P.S.: Oh, if you decide to warp yourself in smth and make a run for it all the same, without the whole washing thing, just note that I looked the door and hung the 'do not disturb' sign._

_P.P.S.: Love you! But I bet you already figured that out, right? XD"_

Erza let out a heavy sigh. Her blush form the underlined 'rub it really hard' part subsided as the memories of the previous night sunk back into some isolated pit in her mind, the pit Erza was sure she would never want to disturb. Signs, locked doors, marker on her body… Silly and childish. Completely Natsu-ish. But then again the scarlet-haired beauty knew pretty well that there was a phone in the room so she could call room service, plus there was always a chance that she would scream and the neighbours would hear her. But she knew she would never do that. So did Natsu, obviously. Why you would ask? Simple: Kanashimi is a big city, true. But the figure of the Erza Scarlet is far too recognizable to be noticed in an exchange teacher's hotel room, especially if someone from the University was looking for her and the information of her not having spent the night at home pops out. Of course one may say: "Hey, wait a minute! She's no superstar or anything. Why would she get immediately noticed?" Well, that's because she had loads of acquaintances. Her job was at fault. Erza was no celebrity, she was a fearsome woman with noticeable organizing skills and a kind hart hidden behind the cold demanding exterior. And yes, people around here knew that pretty well. And the awful conclusion in this situation was: in just one night Erza Scarlet, Kanashimi's Devil, blew the reputation she had been keeping up unspotted for years, and now was solely dependent on an exchange teacher Natsu Dragneel.

**X-X-X-X**

"Gray-sama," Juvia called out quietly. "Gray-sama…" she repeated again, gently punching the brunette and blushing a bit at the contact. She still couldn't stop being shy around the handsome man, even though they have been spending much more time together since Valentine's. But something was really bugging him today, and the blue-haired student really wanted to know what.

"Huh?" the math teacher blinked at the girl at his side.

"You seem a bit distracted. There's something bothering you, isn't there?"

"Oh, it's… I kinda…" Gray stuttered looking across the football field at Gerard who was irritantly pushing some buttons on his new phone and frowning each time someone didn't answer. And Gray had a pretty good idea who that 'someone' was.

'_Oh, God, Natsu… Please, pick up the damn phone and tell me you didn't…'_ the brunette though desperately, clutching his own cell phone in his left hand.

"Gray-sama…" Juvia whispered, concern ringing in her voice, and as if mind-reading asked: "Any news from Natsu-sensei?"

Gray simply closed his eyes and shook his head to that.

"Do you think something bad happened to him?" the student raised questioning eyes at the man she held so dear.

"I hope not. Oh, God, I hope not, Juvia…" was the unexpected answer.

**Twelve Days Later**

Combing her hair and putting on some make up to get ready for a dine-out, Erza recalled the events of that decisive morning.

_Flashback_

"_You are completely out of it, Natsu!" Erza yelled on top of her lungs. "You're mad if you think that I am going to agree to that!" she threw her hands in the air as a sign of the foolishness of his idea._

"_What have you got to lose, Erza?" the man asked shrugging his shoulders with a smug smile._

_Erza frowned. "Reputation – for one," she retorted hastily._

"_If you do what I say you won't have to worry about that," Natsu assured._

"_Do you ever listen to yourself?" the woman grimaced stopping for a brief second her continuous pacing the room, having some indescribable in Natsu's point of view ability not to step on any of his gifts but at the same time paying no attention to them whatsoever. It hurt. But not as much as he expected._

"_Erza, I love you! I'm just asking you to give me a chance," the man said calmly still sitting on a chair in the room. Well, someone had to stay composed, right?_

_The look in the woman's face changed from frown to anger. Gritting her teeth she hissed: "I cheated on my boyfriend with you," and pointed her index finger at Natsu in a threatening manner. She was angry alright. Not at him. At herself. She allowed herself this awful weakness and now everything was lost! True, she had feelings for Natsu, not that she considered him worth knowing of them, since he let last night happen. But at the same time she didn't stop him either. And now making a mental vow to confess to Gerard as soon as the opportunity to speak to him in private comes up and avoiding Natsu for the rest of the exchange program, the damn pink-haired idiot pops put with a 'brilliant' idea that turns all her plans upside down! She could have said no, slammed the door and left. But she didn't. And it angered her even more, cause it just proved the face that some awful Natsu-loving-wanting part of her wanted to give it a try. A part of her wanted to give him a chance._

_Natsu frowned at her words, but if she thought he was giving up she knew nothing of him: "But that's exactly why you should give me this chance."_

_Natsu had an indescribable urge to tell her just how desperate he was right now. How he never expected her to blow off like that… She didn't even mind the little things he bought for her. Yes, Erza Scarlet was not a woman to buy with gifts, Natsu knew that alright and it wasn't his intent. She was a woman who needed strong words and confidence, and his nervous blabbing was not appropriate right now._

"_I have to tell Gerard first."_

"_An gain what? Who will feel better? Gerard? Surely not."_

"_Don't talk like you know him!" Erza shouted in the face of her frustration._

"_But I do know him!" it was Natsu's turn to raise his voice. This was one difficult woman._

"_Hah! You never even met him! How can you possibly know him?"_

"_I'm in love with the same woman he is!" the man's voice reached its peak as he stood up from the chair, and then subsided, "So yeah… I know him."_

_What the pink-haired teacher said and the way he said it made Erza shut up and cross her arms under her chest looking away._

"_Still…" she uttered uncertainly and to his pleasure Natsu noticed how her eyes softened at the plushie on the bed. He smiled to that. "You're asking me to lie to him for these two weeks…"_

"_I'm asking you to let me show you what I can become for you. Come on, Erza," Natsu stood up and approached the woman of his dreams, while she jerked away from his attempt to hug her with a slight blush. "Why are you running away from me?"_

'_You weren't running form me yesterday…' he thought but bit his tongue._

_Erza didn't answer._

"_But we can't possibly live together for these last two weeks! How am I going to explain that?"_

"_Well," Natsu pretended to cheer up, "that's not a problem," he said going to the bathroom. "We could say an accident happened in my hotel room, and as there was no other appropriate room," the pink-haired history teacher pressed his full weigh on the sink and it collapsed with a creaking sound. Water started splashing all over from the damaged tap._

"_What are you doing?" Erza gasped._

"_Making an accident," the man winked at her. "And since the hotel supposedly won't have spare rooms, you will be just to kind to provide me with lodgings for the last meager two weeks of my stay in Kanashimi."_

"_This won't work…" Erza tried to protest, but the sound of loud bangs on the door cut her short._

"_Hey! Our ceiling is leaking!" an angry voice followed the banging._

"_Oh, crap!" Erza whispered in awe. "If I'm found in here…"_

"_In a closet you won't be found," Natsu smiled at her devilishly._

"_You wouldn't!"_

"_In the closet you go!" Natsu chirped shoving the woman into the closet handing her the plushie along the way. "Be quiet now!" he ordered in a fatherly manner closing the door of the closet before Erza had any chance to protest._

"_Natsu!" was the only thing Erza could say before Natsu opened the door to his hotel room._

_End of Flashback_

And now looking back at the past 12 days Erza didn't regret giving Natsu that chance. His idea did work and she told that made-up story to Rob-sempai and to Gerard as well. This was the most difficult part for her. Lying to him was unbearable, but in the end she was only half-lying. In the hotel they really didn't have any spare rooms and in any other situation Erza really would offer help, so Gerard believed her and asked no questions. But that made her feel even worse. And in the last 12 days… Natsu proved to her that he could be exactly what she wanted. He was funny and reckless, he was caring and charming, he was an outstanding lover and a very romantic person. He was not better than Gerard. They were simply different, but that didn't change the fact that in these last days Erza fell head over heels in love with the silly pink-hair. The only problem to be solved now was…

The door bell rang and Erza smiled. Natsu was early today. Probably decided to surprise her.

"Coming!" she chirped and ran up to the door opening it only to see…

'_No way!'_ her conscience screamed.

"Ge-rard…?" she whispered staring wide-eyed at the blue-haired man with flowers in his hands.

"Erza!" he breathed out with a wide genuine smile and instantly hugged her. "I missed you so much!"

Something stung the corners of Erza's eyes and nose and a stone seemed to fall in her gut.

"Me too…" she lied, but only half-lied. "You're… early…" she tried to smile escaping his arms.

"I couldn't wait longer," the man confessed starching out the bouquet for the scarlet-haired beauty, "I had to see you."

Erza stood there motionless with flowers in her hands not knowing what to say or do. She bit her lip. She wanted to confess, to tell the truth right there!

"Gerard, I…"

But he never let her finish. What Erza never imagined him to do was stoop before her, kneeling on one knee fishing out a pretty velvet box from his pocket, opening it and stretching it out to the surprised scarlet-haired woman before him.

"Will you marry me, Erza Scarlet?" Gerard said with a small smile anticipating her answer, watching closely as the eyes of the woman he loved and craved to make his wife travelled along the surface of the most beautiful gold ring with a heart-shaped ruby framed with golden petals in the center of it.

Erza stood petrified, her breath caught in her throat.

"Gerard, I…" but she never got the chance to explain as suddenly she heard the front door open and a familiar voice say: "I'm home!"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Hints to the dream at the beginning of the chapter:

Tiger – a rival

Ring – an admirer, a man who is really fond of you


	11. Chapter 10: Never Surrender

**Chapter 10: Never Surrender**

"I'm home," Natsu said in his usual cheerful manner. The day at the University was great and he couldn't wait to share the events with Erza, so he was quite surprised when he heard no one respond to his greeting. "Erza, are you home?" Natsu asked taking his shoes off and going further into the apartment. "Er…" he stopped dead at the entrance to the living room. The door was open and Natsu could see _him. _The man from the countless pictures and photos in this apartment. The man with blue hair and green eyes. Gerard Fernandez. He was here. In Kanashimi. On one knee before Erza. With a ring. They both were looking at him. And while Gerard looked rather surprised, Erza had such a guilty look in her eyes, Natsu felt he won't be able to take it. That look told him everything he wanted to know. Her boyfriend was back proposing to her… Natsu wanted to scream so bad he felt that if he didn't his throat was going to explode. He gritted his teeth so hard that involuntarily bit his cheek and started savouring the salty taste of blood in his mouth.

"N-Natsu… this is…" Erza started uneasily.

"Aa," the man whispered, "I know."

"Oh," Gerard said in a friendly tone standing up, "you must be Dragneel-san? Erza told me so much about you I almost anticipated meeting you," the blue-haired man said approaching his guest and offering him his hand. "Nice to meet you, Dragneel-san."

For a moment Natsu just stared at the offered hand. His desire to punch the man before him faded. He was obviously unaware of what has been going on between him and Erza. Natsu shook Gerard's hand with a fake smile.

"Aa, nice to meet you too, Gerard-san," he lied. "Erza-san also told me a lot about you!"

The suffix he used left a deep gash at Natsu's tongue and painfully stung Erza's ears. He saw her wince and hide her eyes.

"I wish I was able to stay longer…" Natsu began and Erza's head immediately snapped up to meet his eyes, but he wasn't looking at her. He seemed to be talking to Gerard and pretending she wasn't even there. "But my train leaves in an hour so I better get my things and set off," Natsu said casually and started to his room.

"Wait, but you're only leaving in two days!" Erza almost screamed and earned a confused look from Gerard and no look at all from Natsu. He turned his back to her and was silent for a moment. For just a brief moment. But Erza could swear she would give up anything just to be able to read his mind at that time. And if she could what she would read would be:

'_Please… Don't make this harder than it already is…'_

"Aa, that was the initial plan, but you know," he shrugged, "shit happens and I have to depart today… Makarov-sempai's orders," and with that he left for the room.

Gerard was already about to let the man be and return to his business with Erza, but she darted to Natsu's door with such a desperate look on her face that the man began to wonder what this all was about.

"Let me at least call the University cab!" she suggested watching him pack as if he was running away from prison.

"No need. I am capable of catching a cab myself," he said in a rather hostile manner, but Erza never seemed to mind.

"Don't be ridiculous, Natsu!" she almost pleaded coming near him. "You don't have to leave today…" she half whispered putting a hand on his shoulder. The hand that he briskly shook off without saying a word. Erza gasped: "Natsu…" she whispered with so much hurt in her voice that for a moment he stopped zipping his suitcase and gathered every nerve in his body to continue.

'_This is for the best, Erza… believe me,'_ he thought as he finally zipped his bag and made his way for the door.

Erza leaned against the wall of Natsu's room, gritted her teeth and clutched her elbows. As Natsu went past her she could smell him. She wanted to stop him. To hug him and stop him. To tell him! Tell him! Tell him NOW!

"Natsu, I…" he cut her short.

"Good bye, Erza-san, Gerard-san!" he said holding the doorknob. "Thank you for the hospitality and for everything…" he turned over and smiled. "See ya!"

'_I love you, Erza…'_

And with that he was off.

The ground disappeared under Erza and her legs gave out. Sliding down the wall she fell to her knees and sobbed. She didn't care if Gerard was here or not anymore. She didn't care if he was going to get mad and break up with her that instant. She didn't care if he was going to pack and leave as Natsu just did. This was cruel, but that's how she felt. The love of her life just walked out the door, cleaving her heart into pieces that couldn't be mended. And she cried. So truly and desperately, so horribly quiet and terribly sincere.

"Erza," a male voice spoke seriously kneeling before her. "What's going on?"

Natsu walked along the road trying to catch a car. Fortunately he didn't have to wait long for a cab to pass by and he eagerly sat inside. No vomiting this time. No nausea. Only pain. Pain so deep, so palpable, so alive. He went out of the car at the train station and before going to see the schedule balled his fist and punched the nearby wall with as much force he had.

"FUCK! SHIT! I HATE THIS FUCKING SHIT! I HATE THIS! I HATE THIS!" he cursed more and more and angry mothers shot daggers at him closing their children's ears. "What are you looking at?" Natsu growled back. "Yeah-yeah, run away, be fast ya hear me!"

But in reality he was mad at himself and only. _'Some fool you are, Dragneel! Imagining something that's never gonna happen! She has a man already, give her a break! But nooo, you had to spoil it all with your fucking feelings! Why the hell did you fall in love with her? And more importantly why the hell did you make her fall in love with you? What did she do to you?'_

"I'm so sorry, Erza…" Natsu whispered and went inside to buy new tickets to Kofuku.

"And that's how it is… I'm so sorry, Gerard…" Erza finished her story wiping the remains of her tears, while Gerard listened carefully to her every word. She told him the truth. The whole truth with no flying colours. He didn't say much, just processed the information and Erza was growing impatient. She wanted to get yelled at, to earn some fury from Gerard but all he did was sit and look at her with the most pained expression she has ever seen. "Say something already, Gerard! Anything!"

"Do you love him, Erza?" was the simple question and she didn't want to lie. She respected Gerard just too much.

"I do," she confessed never minding the consequences.

To her surprise Gerard smiled.

"Then why did you let him leave?"

Erza's eyes grew wide. "Gerard? You…?"

"Go."

"B-but…"

"Go," Gerard ordered silently. "Or you will lose him just like I lost you…"

Erza was speechless. This man was one to admire and she hated herself for hurting him like that, but she also got the point. She couldn't lose Natsu. She didn't want to lose him!

"Thank you, Gerard," she whispered and rushed to the door catching a pair of shoes on her way. _'I truly loved you!'_

Erza was running as fast as her legs would carry her. Somewhere down the steps she twisted her ankle and broke one heel. The woman cursed tore the other one off too and went on running. On the street no car wanted to pull over and give her lift, but Erza Scarlet was not giving up. She took out her phone and dialed the familiar number.

"Wally! I need a car to the train station right away!" she yelled into the receiver. "Can you pick me up?" the woman cried out desperately.

"Chill, sis! What's the hurry? Sure I'll pick you up. Where are you?" Wally said worried.

"I'm two blocks away from my house… Erm… Lenton Street."

"I got you. Be right there!" the man answered.

"Hurry, please!"

Natsu was standing on the platform waiting for the train. One suitcase. He came here with a suitcase and a broken heart, how was he to know he would be leaving the same way?

'_This is nothing like with Lucy…'_ he thought looking absentmindedly into the distance. _'Hell, I forgot about her as soon as I saw Erza! And now… she's getting married… That Gerard sure is a lucky guy. First he gets my dream job, and then…'_

"Dragneel!" Natsu's head immediately snapped up as he heard a familiar female voice reach him forcefully.

"Erza? What…?" but he never got a chance to finish, as with a few broad quick steps, she was on him grabbing him by the collar of his shirt with a greatly pissed off facial expression.

"Coward!" she yelled him in the face. "Giving up already? What about all the colonels you admired? What about all the battles you wanted to experience? You're giving up on me? You're giving me away to him? Natsu!"

Her eyes were glued to his. He was shocked and his green eyes gave that away, but Erza was furious and the last thing Natsu expected her to do was…

"Do you surrender, Natsu Dragneel?" Erza whispered, tears streaming down her face, with shaky hands losing their grasp on Natsu's shirt.

This woman… This woman was unbelievable. She rushed to him. Gave up on her engagement. Was crying and asking him to do something. And it all came back to him. How she helped him, how they danced, how she caught cold, how they sang together, how she kissed him… how she was all over him… He just couldn't. He just really couldn't…

'_I can't lose her!'_

"No!" Natsu said forcefully, grabbing her by the wrists. "You're my Waterloo, my Bosworth Field, my Meaux! All these battles were lost. But I'm no Napoleon, no Richard III and not some French colonel! I'm not gonna lose you, Erza Scarlet! I'll never surrender! If I can't have you, I prefer death!" and with that he crushed his lips upon hers, savouring them, eating them, roaming her back with his hands, holding her in his arms as tight as he could, while she was shivering and sobbing, but giving him as much passion as she was receiving. Ten minutes later the sound of the oncoming train made them break the kiss. Erza's concerned eyes turned in the direction of the sound and then turned to look at Natsu's smiling face.

"You're not leaving me, are you?" she asked with worry, while Natsu simply chuckled.

"Of course not," he answered. "Now I won't leave you even if you order me to."

"You're insane, you know that?" Erza said with a smile.

'_Insane? If I have to be insane, it'll only be for someone I love...__'_ he thought, but said nothing.

"Whoa?" the woman gasped as she felt being lifted off the ground.

"I noticed you broke your heels…" the pink-haired man whispered into the ear of his beloved. "Ran as fast as you could to stop me from leaving?" he chucked, while she pouted with a huff. "Look at me," Natsu asked and she obeyed. "I love you, Erza," was all he said with a wide happy grin, that made her want to cry again. And she remembered how he walked out the door some hour ago and how her mind screamed to stop him and tell him. Hug him and tell him. Tell him NOW!

"I love you too, Natsu…" she whispered with a blush and this time it was her to initiate the kiss. Not a passionately seductive one, but a gentle one, slow one, smooth one. A kiss that ignites your heart more than any passion, because there's more love in it than lust.

As the train to Kofuku left the station, Natsu and Erza were still kissing on the platform, him never seeming to get tired of holding her in his arms, and her never seeming to get tired of his kisses. And they were happy like that.

**The end.**


End file.
